eave
EEV
/iːv/
The lower edge of a roof that overhangs beyond the exterior face of a building's wall.
Eaves serve crucial architectural functions by throwing rainwater clear of exterior walls and providing solar shading during summer months.
The story behind the word. Derived from Old English 'efes', meaning the outer border or edge of something. In Old English 'eaves' was originally a singular noun ending in 's', but later English speakers mistook it for a plural and back-formed the singular 'eave'.
Word relationships
- overhang: Overhang refers to any structural projection, whereas eave specifically denotes the lower overhanging edge of a roof.
- ridge: The ridge is the highest horizontal peak of a roof, while the eaves are the lowest outer edges.
Commonly confused with
- soffit: The eave is the entire projecting overhang structure; the soffit is specifically the horizontal ceiling on its underside.
Word family
- eavesdrop (verb): To listen secretly to private conversations (originally standing where rain dripped off roof eaves).
Collocations
- overhanging eaves
- deep eaves
- eave vent
- eave trough
Idioms & expressions
- eavesdrop
Example sentences
- "Icicles hung in long, sharp rows from the eaves of the farmhouse after the winter blizzard." Winter weather description
- "Extending the eaves by two feet helped shade the south-facing windows and cut solar cooling loads." Passive solar design study
Memory hook
Water drips off the EAVE onto the ground evening air. Roof overhang edge.
When not to use
Almost always used in the plural form 'eaves' when describing the overall roofline overhang.
Fun facts
- The verb 'eavesdrop' comes from the Old English 'eavesdrip'—the patch of ground where water dripped off roof eaves. Suspicious people stood in this area under windows to overhear private indoor talk!
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