A Gable Is the Triangle at the End of a Roof
A gable is the triangular wall section under a pitched roof. It gives its name to a whole family of building styles.
A gable is the triangular section of wall between the two slopes of a pitched roof. The shape is structural, not decorative: it is simply what a rectangular wall becomes when a pitched roof sits on it, which is why gables appear wherever people build roofs that shed rain and snow. A *gable end* is the whole wall carrying it, and *Anne of Green Gables* is named after the painted gables of a farmhouse.
- A roof-end triangle. *A steep gable.*
- Gable end — the whole wall. *The gable end.*
- Dutch gable — a curved decorative form. *A Dutch gable.*
- Crow-stepped gable — a stepped Scottish form. *Crow-stepped gables.*
- Pediment — the classical equivalent. *A triangular pediment.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | gable | A high gable. |
| Plural | gables | Green gables. |
| Adjective | gabled | A gabled roof. |
| Compound | gable end | The gable end. |
| Old Norse | gafl | A gable. |
- The house has two gables at the front.Architecture.
- The gable end faces the road.The wall.
- Crow-stepped gables are common in Scotland.Regional style.
Gable styles
- Plain gable — a simple triangle
- Crow-stepped — stepped edges, common in Scotland and the Low Countries
- Dutch gable — curved and often topped with a pediment
- Hipped roof — has no gable at all, sloping on every side
- Pediment — the classical triangular gable, often ornamented
Old French *gable*, from Old Norse *gafl*, a gable, from a Germanic root possibly related to a word for a fork.
What is a gable end?
The entire wall at the end of a building, including the triangular section beneath the roof slopes.
Does every house have gables?
No. A hipped roof slopes on all four sides and has no gable at all.