window

/ˈwɪndoʊ/
/ˈwɪndəʊ/
IPA guide

Other forms: windows

A window is an opening in a wall that you can see through. Most windows are fitted with glass and can be opened to let air flow through them on a warm spring day.

Buildings have windows so that the sun can brighten up indoor spaces during the day. You can also use window to mean just the glass pane inside the frame: "Sorry that my baseball broke the window!" Cars have windows too, which can be rolled up and down, and department stores use their large windows to display items for sale. And on a computer, a window is an area containing information that's enclosed by a window-like "frame."

Definitions of window
  1. noun
    a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
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    types:
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    bay window, bow window
    a window that sticks out from the outside wall of a house
    casement window
    a window with one or more casements
    clearstory, clerestory
    part of an interior wall rising above the adjacent roof with windows admitting light
    display window, shop window, shopwindow, show window
    a window of a store facing onto the street; used to display merchandise for sale in the store
    dormer, dormer window
    a gabled extension built out from a sloping roof to accommodate a vertical window
    dormer window
    the window in a gabled extension built to accommodate a window
    double glazing
    a window with two panes of glass and a space between them; reduces heat and noise transmission through the window
    double-hung window
    a window having two sashes that slide up and down
    fanlight
    a semicircular window over a door or window; usually has sash bars like the ribs of a fan
    lancet window
    a narrow window having a lancet arch and without tracery
    jalousie, louvered window
    a window with glass louvers
    oeil de boeuf
    a circular or oval window; 17th or 18th century French architecture
    picture window
    a large window with a single pane (usually overlooking a view)
    pivoting window
    a window that opens by pivoting either horizontally or vertically
    porthole
    a window in a ship or airplane
    rose window, rosette
    circular window filled with tracery
    sash window
    a window with (usually two) sashes that slide vertically to let in air
    fanlight, skylight
    a window in a roof to admit daylight
    sliding window
    a window that open by sliding horizontally
    stained-glass window
    a window made of stained glass
    storm sash, storm window
    a window outside an ordinary window to protect against severe weather or winter
    fanlight, transom, transom window
    a window above a door that is usually hinged to a horizontal crosspiece over the door
    oriel, oriel window
    a projecting bay window corbeled or cantilevered out from a wall
    oxeye
    an oval or round dormer window
    type of:
    framework
    a structure supporting or containing something
  2. noun
    an opening that resembles a window in appearance or function
    “he could see them through a window in the trees”
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    type of:
    gap, opening
    an open or empty space in or between things
  3. noun
    a pane of glass in a window
    “the ball shattered the window”
    synonyms: windowpane
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    type of:
    pane, pane of glass, window glass
    sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
  4. noun
    a transparent panel (as of an envelope) inserted in an otherwise opaque material
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    type of:
    panel
    sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
  5. noun
    an opening in a wall or screen that admits light and air and through which customers can be served
    “he stuck his head in the window”
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    types:
    ticket window
    a window through which tickets are sold (as from a ticket booth)
    type of:
    opening
    a vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made
  6. noun
    a transparent opening in a vehicle that allow vision out of the sides or back; usually is capable of being opened
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    types:
    car window
    a window in a car
    quarterlight
    car window consisting of a small pivoted glass vent in the door of a car
    rear window
    car window that allows vision out of the back of the car
    type of:
    opening
    a vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made
  7. noun
    (computer science) a rectangular part of a computer screen that contains a display different from the rest of the screen
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    types:
    dialog box, panel
    (computer science) a small temporary window in a graphical user interface that appears in order to request information from the user; after the information has been provided the user dismisses the box with `okay' or `cancel'
    foreground
    (computer science) a window for an active application
    type of:
    display, video display
    an electronic device that represents information in visual form
  8. noun
    the time period that is considered best for starting or finishing something
    “the expanded window will give us time to catch the thieves”
    “they had a window of less than an hour when an attack would have succeeded”
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    type of:
    period, period of time, time period
    an amount of time
Pronunciation
US
/ˈwɪndoʊ/
UK
/ˈwɪndəʊ/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘window'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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