Dormitory Comes From the Latin for Sleep
A dorm is shared sleeping accommodation. The Latin root also gives dormant and dormouse.
A dorm is a dormitory, a room or building of shared sleeping quarters. Latin *dormire*, to sleep, gives a useful family: *dormant* means sleeping, a *dormer* window was named for the bedroom it lit, and a *dormouse* is named for its long hibernation, not for any connection to doors. A *dormitory town* is one whose residents sleep there and work elsewhere, which is the Latin sense used exactly.
- Shared sleeping quarters. *A university dorm.*
- Dormitory — the full word. *A dormitory.*
- Dormant — sleeping. *A dormant volcano.*
- Dormouse — the hibernating rodent. *A dormouse.*
- Latin — *dormire*, to sleep. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | dorm | A dorm. |
| Plural | dorms | Dorms. |
| Full form | dormitory | A dormitory. |
| Related | dormant | Dormant. |
| Latin | dormire | To sleep. |
- He lived in the dorm all year.Housing.
- A dormant volcano.Related word.
- The dormouse hibernates.Animal.
The dormire family
- Dormitory — a sleeping place
- Dormant — sleeping or inactive
- Dormer — a window lighting a bedroom
- Dormouse — named for its long hibernation
- Dormitory town — a place people sleep but do not work
Short for *dormitory*, from Latin *dormitorium*, from *dormire*, to sleep.
Is a dormouse named after a door?
No. The name comes from the Latin for sleep, describing its long hibernation.
Why is a roof window called a dormer?
Because it lit a bedroom. The name comes from the same Latin root meaning to sleep.