dormitory

[ dawr-mi-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]
/ ˈdɔr mɪˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun, plural dor·mi·to·ries.

a building, as at a college, containing a number of private or semiprivate rooms for residents, usually along with common bathroom facilities and recreation areas.
a room containing a number of beds and serving as communal sleeping quarters, as in an institution, fraternity house, or passenger ship.

Origin of dormitory

1475–85; < Latin dormītōrium bedroom, equivalent to dormī(re) to sleep + -tōrium -tory2

Example sentences from the Web for dormitory

British Dictionary definitions for dormitory

dormitory
/ (ˈdɔːmɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

noun plural -ries

a large room, esp at a school or institution, containing several beds
US a building, esp at a college or camp, providing living and sleeping accommodation
(modifier) British denoting or relating to an area from which most of the residents commute to work (esp in the phrase dormitory suburb)
Often (for senses 1, 2) shortened to: dorm

Word Origin for dormitory

C15: from Latin dormītōrium, from dormīre to sleep