Meanings
eaves1
nouneaves pl (plural only)
alternative eave
- pluralplural onlyarchitectureThe underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building.
Enclose open eaves with noncombustible soffit material.
2024 November 10, Alaa Elassar, “As California wildfires become more frequent, people will need to fireproof their homes. Here’s what it takes to do it”, in CNN, archived from the original on 14 Dec 20243 more examples
Him that you term'd Sir, the good old Lord Gonzallo, / His teares runs downe his beard like winters drops / From eaues of reeds: […]
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 16, column 2Thus night oft ſee me in thy pale career, / Till civil-ſuited morn appeer, / […] / Or uſher'd with a ſhower ſtill, / When the guſt hath blown his fill, / Ending on the ruſsling Leaves, / With minute drops from off the Eaves.
a. 1645, John Milton, “Il Penseroso”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, page 42By my window bowered round with leaves, / And down my cheeks the quick tears ran / Like twinkling rain-drops from the eaves, / When warm spring showers are passing o'er: […]
1818 August, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Rosalind and Helen”, in Rosalind and Helen, a Modern Eclogue; with Other Poems, London: […] [C. H. Reynell] for C[harles] and J[ames] Ollier, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 22 - broadlypluralplural onlySomething that extends over or projects beyond.
But after many strains and heaves / He got up to the Saddle eaves.
1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]. Canto I.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 141 more example
The mystic glory swims away; / From off my bed the moonlight dies; / And closing eaves of wearied eyes / I sleep till dusk is dipt in gray: […]
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto LXV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 92
eaves2
noun
- pluralplural of eave
Eaves3
proper noun
- A surname.
- A hamlet in Woodplumpton parish, city of Preston district, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD4937).
Origin
eaves · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*upér“above; over”
- Proto-Germanic*ubiswō
- Proto-West Germanic*ubisu“hall”
- Old Englishefes
- Middle Englisheves“projecting lower edge of a roof”
- Englisheaves
PIE word *upér From Middle English eves (“projecting lower edge of a roof”) [and other forms], from Old English efes, yfes, *ofes (“edge of a roof”), from Proto-West Germanic *ubisu (“hall”), from Proto-Germanic *ubiswō (compare Gothic 𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌰 (ubizwa), Old High German obasa (“hall; porch; roof”)), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *upér (“above; over”) (whence over).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →eaves · noun
From eave + -s, from a misinterpretation of the -s ending of eaves as forming a plural.
Full word history & related roots →Eaves · proper noun
- Old Englishefes
- Middle Englishatte evese“at the border, edge”
- EnglishEaves
English surname, from Middle English atte evese (“at the border, edge”), from Old English efes. Compare Reeves. Also sometimes a variant of Eve.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek σκόμῐον
- σκόμῐον (skómĭon)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Arabic طُنْف
- طُنْف (ṭunf)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Bengali ছাঁইচ
- ছাঁইচ (chãic)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Bulgarian стреха́, стря́ха
- стреха́ (strehá)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- стря́ха (strjáha)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Catalan barbacana, ràfec
- barbacanaunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- ràfecunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Chinese Cantonese 瓦簷 /瓦檐, 瓦簷口 /瓦檐口
- 瓦簷 /瓦檐 (ngaa⁵ jam⁴)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 瓦簷口 /瓦檐口 (ngaa⁵ jim⁴ hau²)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Chinese Mandarin 宸, 滴水
- 宸 (chén)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 滴水 (dīshuǐ)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 樀 (dí)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 房簷 /房檐 (fángyán)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 核 (kài)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 屋檐 (wūyán)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 簷 /檐 沿 (yán)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 𡧃 (yǔ)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 宇 (yǔ)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Czech převis střechy
- převis střechyunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Danish tagskæg, tagfod
- tagskægunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- tagfodunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Dutch dakrand
- dakrandunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Esperanto alero
- alerounderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Finnish räystäs, läppä
- räystäsunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- läppäsomething that extends over or projects beyond
- ulokesomething that extends over or projects beyond
French avant-toit, corniche
- avant-toitunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- cornicheunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
German Dachüberstand, Traufe
- Dachüberstandunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- Traufeunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- Dachrandunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Greek αστρέχα, γείσο
- αστρέχα (astrécha)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- γείσο (geíso)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Hindi छज्जा
- छज्जा (chajjā)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Hungarian eresz
- ereszunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Irish sceimheal, urla
- sceimhealunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- urlaunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Italian cornicione, gronda
- cornicioneunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- grondaunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- grondaiaunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Japanese 阿, 廡
- 阿 (a)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 廡 (hisashi)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 廂 (hisashi)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 庇 (hisashi)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 軒 (noki)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- 宇 (u)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Korean 처마
- 처마 (cheoma)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Latin grunda, suggrunda
- grundaunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- suggrundaunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Māori hiku, hikuhiku
- hikuunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- hikuhikuunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- ikuikuunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- peruunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- whakamarokeunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Polish okap
- okapunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Portuguese beirado, beiral
- beiradounderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- beiralunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Romanian streașină
- streașinăunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Russian карни́з, стреха́
- карни́з (karníz)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- стреха́ (strexá)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- свес кры́ши (sves krýši)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- застре́ха (zastréxa)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Scottish Gaelic anainn
- anainnunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Slovak odkvapová rímsa
- odkvapová rímsaunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Spanish alar, alero
- alarunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- alerounderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- antetechounderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- rafeunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- tejarozunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- socarrénunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- tejadillounderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Swedish takfot, takutsprång
- takfotunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- takutsprångunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- takskäggunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- hofsunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- ofsunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- utskäfteunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- överhängsomething that extends over or projects beyond
Tagalog balisbisan, palantikan
- balisbisanunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- palantikanunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- sibeunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Tamil இறப்பு, வீட்டிறப்பு
- இறப்பு (iṟappu)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- வீட்டிறப்பு (vīṭṭiṟappu)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Thai ชาย, ชายคา
- ชาย (chaai)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- ชายคา (chaai-kaa)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Turkish saçak
- saçakunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Ukrainian карни́з, гзимс
- карни́з (karnýz)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- гзимс (hzyms)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- кару́нка (karúnka)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- звис (zvys)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- підда́шок (piddášok)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- підда́шшя (piddáššja)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- стрі́ха (stríxa)underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Welsh bargod, bondo
- bargodunderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
- bondounderside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with eaves
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
eaves. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eaves
MLA
“eaves.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eaves. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eaves,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eaves.
Source: eaves on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.