dome
UK[dəʊm]US[doʊm]
n
a rounded roof on a building or room, especially one that is hemispherical
n
a thing shaped like such a roof, especially a natural formation or a sports stadium
Etymology
the word 'dome' entered english in the early 16th century from french 'dôme', meaning a 'cathedral' or 'vaulted roof'. this french term was derived from italian 'duomo', meaning 'cathedral', which itself came from latin 'domus', meaning 'house'. the latin 'domus' can be traced back to the proto-indo-european root dem-, meaning 'to build' or 'house'. the semantic journey from a general 'house' to a specific architectural feature—a grand, rounded roof—occurred in italian and french, where the word for a major church building (the 'house' of god) became metonymically associated with its most distinctive architectural element, which english then borrowed and narrowed in meaning.
Analysis
the word 'dome' is a simplex loanword from french, ultimately from latin and greek. it does not contain separable morphemes in its modern english spelling.
Examples
the cathedral's magnificent dome dominated the city skyline.
they watched the game from the upper deck of the domed stadium.
the geodesic dome is an efficient and lightweight structure.