house-top

A child stands on the house-top to look at the stars.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The roof of a house: "house-top" refers to the topmost part or roof of a house, typically used in a literal architectural sense.
   • A high vantage point: In figurative usage, "house-top" can denote a high place from which something is proclaimed or made public.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The cat sat on the house-top, watching the sunset. (The cat was on the roof of the house.)
  • He climbed to the house-top to fix the antenna. (He went to the roof to repair the device.)

Advanced Usage

• "to cry (proclaim) from the house-tops": to announce something loudly and publicly, without restraint.
  • She cried the news from the house-tops, wanting everyone to know. (She made the news widely known.)
  • He proclaimed his love from the house-tops, shouting it for all to hear. (He declared his love openly and loudly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Housetop (n): an alternative spelling, identical in meaning.
  • The housetop was covered in snow. (The roof was white with snow.)
• House (n): a building for human habitation.
  • They lived in a small house. (A dwelling.)
• Top (n): the highest point or part of something.
  • The top of the mountain. (The summit.)

Synonyms

• Roof: the covering of a building.
  • The roof was made of tiles. (The top covering.)
• Rooftop: the outer surface of a roof, often used as a space.
  • They had a garden on the rooftop. (The roof area used for activity.)

Related Idioms

• Shout from the rooftops: to announce something very publicly and loudly.
  • He shouted his success from the rooftops. (He made his achievement widely known.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Cry out: to shout or call loudly.
  • She cried out for help from the house-top. (She shouted loudly.)