Room vs Closet - What's the difference?

As adjectives the difference between room and closet

is that room is wide; spacious; roomy while closet is secret.

As nouns the difference between room and closet

is that room is opportunity or scope (to do something) while closet is a piece of furniture or a cabinet in which clothes or household supplies may be stored.

As verbs the difference between room and closet

is that room is to reside, especially as a boarder or tenant while closet is to shut away for private discussion.

As an adverb room

is far; at a distance; wide in space or extent.

room

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) roum, rom, rum, from (etyl) .

Adjective

(en adjective)

(dialectal, or, obsolete) Wide; spacious; roomy.

Etymology 2

From (etyl) rome, from (etyl) .

Adverb

(en adverb)

(dialectal, or, obsolete) Far; at a distance; wide in space or extent.

(nautical) Off from the wind.

Etymology 3

From (etyl) roum, from (etyl) through Indo-European. More at (l). Apparently an exception to the , which otherwise would have produced the pronunciation , but /a?/ does not occur before noncoronal consonants in Modern English.

Noun

(en noun)

* 1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. Bible , (w) I:

Thou lorde whiche knowest the hertes of all men, shewe whether thou hast chosen of these two, that the one maye take the roume of this ministracion, and apostleshippe from the which Judas by transgression fell, that he myght goo to his awne place.

* 1748 , (Samuel Richardson), (Clarissa) :

Nor shalt thou give me room to doubt whether it be necessity or love, that inspires this condescending impulse.

(label) Space for'' something, or ''to carry out an activity.

* 2010 , Jonathan Franklin, The Guardian , 27 Aug 2010:

He explains they have enough room to stand and lie down, points out the "little cup to brush our teeth", and the place where they pray.

(label) A particular portion of space.

* (rfdate) (Thomas Overbury) (c.1581-1613)

If he have but twelve pence in his purse, he will give it for the best room in a playhouse.

* (rfdate) Bible, (w) xiv. 8

When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room .

* (rfdate) (Joseph Addison) (1672-1719)

There was no prince in the empire who had room for such an alliance.

* 2010 , Roger Bootle, The Telegraph , 12 Sep 2010:

There are major disagreements within the Coalition and politicians always want to retain room for manoeuvre.

(label) A space between the timbers of a ship's frame.

(label) A separate part of a building, enclosed by walls, a floor and a ceiling.

* 1813 , (Jane Austen), (Pride and Prejudice) :

Miss Bingley made no answer, and soon afterwards she got up and walked about the room .

* , chapter=10

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=He looked round the poor room', at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a '''room''' like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a ' room as he had hoped to have for his own.}}

(label) With possessive pronoun: one's bedroom.

* , chapter=6

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=She was so mad she wouldn't speak to me for quite a spell, but at last I coaxed her into going up to Miss Emmeline's room and fetching down a tintype of the missing Deacon man.}}

* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)

, chapter=20 citation , passage=‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room . I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’}}

(label) A set of rooms inhabited by someone; one's lodgings.

(label) An area for working in a coal mine. (jump)

(label) A portion of a cave that is wider than a passage. (jump)

Place or position in society; office; rank; post, sometimes when vacated by its former occupant.

* (rfdate) Bible, (w) ii. 22

When he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod.

* (rfdate) (William Tyndale) (1494-1536)

Neither that I look for a higher room in heaven.

* (rfdate) (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)

Let Bianca take her sister's room .

Quotations

* (English Citations of "room")

Synonyms

* (jump) elbow room, legroom, space * (jump) chamber, quarters * (jump) chamber * See also

Derived terms

* art room * AV room * backroom * ballroom * bathroom * bedroom * billiards room * blue room * boardroom * boiler room * box-room * break room * changing room * chat room * classroom * clean my room * cold room * common room * computer room * control room * copy room * courtroom * cutting room * darkroom * delivery room * dining room * discussion room * display room * dormroom * dressing room * elbow room * elephant in the room * embalming room * emergency room * engine room * examination room * fitting room * Florida room * front room * game room * get a room * giftwrapping room * green room * guest room * headroom * inner room * in the room * lamp room * laundry room * legroom * living room * locker room * lunchroom * map room * meditation room * meeting room * mud room * music room * need a room * newsroom * no room at the inn * operating room * padded room * panic room * plant room * play room * pool room * powder room * prep room * press room * private room * pump room * reading room * ready room * recording room * reptile room * romper room * room and board * room at the top * room for abuse * room for apology * room for dessert * room for error * room for improvement * room service * room to breathe * room to grow * room to roam * room with a view * roommate * roomie * roomy * rubber room * rumpus room * save room * school room * science room * screening room * sewing room * showroom * sitting room * sound room * spare room * standing room only * steam room * storeroom * strong room * study room * sunroom * the other room * the upper room * upstairs room * viewing room * waiting room * war room * washroom * weightroom * wiggle room * work the room * workroom

Verb

To reside, especially as a boarder or tenant.

Doctor Watson roomed with Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street.

Derived terms

* roomer * room together * roomy

Statistics

External links

* (wikipedia "room")

Anagrams

* * 1000 English basic words ----

closet

English

Noun

(wikipedia closet) (en noun)

(chiefly, US) A piece of furniture or a cabinet in which clothes or household supplies may be stored.

(Dryden)

A small private chamber.

* Goldsmith

a chair-lumbered closet , just twelve feet by nine

* Bible, Matthew vi. 6

When thou prayest, enter into thy closet .

A toilet; a water closet.

(figuratively) The imagined closet in idioms such as in the closet or skeleton in the closet, a place to keep things hidden.

The'' 'closet''' can be a scary place for a gay teenager.

Synonyms

* (A piece of furniture) cupboard, wardrobe, press (British), locker, cabinet

Adjective

(-)

Secret.

Derived terms

* closeted * closet oneself * come out of the closet * earth closet * in the closet * skeleton in the closet * water closet

Verb

(en verb)

To shut away for private discussion.

The ambassador has been closeted with the prime minister all afternoon. We're all worried what will be announced when they exit.

To put into a private place for a secret interview or interrogation.

* (rfdate) (Bancroft)

He was to call a new legislature, to closet its members.

* (rfdate) (Froude)

He had been closeted with De Quadra.

To shut up in, or as in, a closet for concealment or confinement.

* (rfdate) (Cowper)

Bedlam's closeted and handcuffed charge.

Anagrams

* ----