Meaning & use

eaves

noun·Academic

The edges of a roof that overhang the walls of a building, often used to catch or direct rainwater.

See it in a sentence

Birds built a nest tucked safely under the eaves of the old barn.

Water dripped steadily from the eaves after the heavy afternoon rain.

A note on using this word

Eaves is always used as a plural noun, even when referring to the edge of a single roof.

Words with a similar meaning

overhang

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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