ceiling
1
6.7
- noun
- /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
- Specialized
- The rented land flyer skimmed the foothills of the Endish Range under a ceiling of featureless gray cloud.
Examples
-
Some low ceilings over San Francisco, nothing major.
-
The radar had gone out in Paducah, and the ceilings were low.
Blog text (22) -
Try 50 seats with a ceiling of 12,000 feet.
-
Either they were nonexistent, or they covered the entire sky from horizon to horizon with a monochrome ceiling.
Fiction book (1991) -
The sun is preparing for hibernation, slumbering through each day behind a gray ceiling of gauze.
Blog text (18) -
The airplane had to fly lower than usual due to a low ceiling of clouds.
-
Pilots must be aware of the ceiling when flying in poor weather conditions.
-
During the storm, the ceiling dropped to just a few hundred feet, affecting visibility.
Idioms
To overcome barriers that stop women or minority groups getting higher jobs
Compounds
- Literature
15
4.0
An invisible barrier that stops women and minorities from reaching top jobs
- Specialized
1
8.2
The highest altitude a plane can reach while still climbing at a normal rate
- Specialized
1
8.1
The highest height at which a plane can still fly level using its engines
- Literature
An unwritten rule that stops women or minority groups from getting promoted in jobs
- Specialized
Highest altitude at which a military plane can still climb well in combat
Surface Forms
Etymology
Ceiling comes from an old word for 'sky', like the French ciel, so it was used for the space above us. In weather and aviation, a ceiling is the height of the lowest clouds that cover the sky, which directly links to that 'sky' idea.