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English word origin

Etymology of ceil

Uncertain; perhaps related to Latin cēlō (“to hide”).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

INDEPENDENT SOURCE LIBRARY

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Chambers (1908)

1908
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In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To line or finish (a surface, such as a wall), with plaster, stucco, thin boards, or similar.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain; perhaps related to Latin cēlō (“to hide”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To set a higher bound.

noun

A ceiling. · Abbreviation of ceiling.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Abbrevation of ceiling, influenced by French ciel

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ceil →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
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Permanent entry ID
w-Y2VpbA