noun
penthouse
A room or enclosed structure built on a building's roof.
A small penthouse encloses the rooftop machinery.
Etymology
The word developed from a term for an attached shed or lean-to, later reshaped as though it contained house. Its meaning shifted to a structure or dwelling on a building’s roof.
More examples
- The architect drew the elevator penthouse above the roofline.
- Workers entered the service penthouse to inspect the equipment.
- The plans included a rooftop penthouse for ventilation equipment.
Forms
penthouse · penthouses
Similar words
- rooftop enclosure
- A plain description without the apartment sense.