A window that projects vertically from a sloping roof, creating additional space and light in an attic or upper floor.
From Old French 'dormeor,' meaning 'dormitory' or 'sleeping place,' derived from Latin 'dormire' (to sleep). Originally referred to the entire sleeping quarters built into roof spaces of monasteries and large houses. The window itself was just one feature of these 'sleeping chambers,' but eventually the name transferred to just the projecting window structure as architecture evolved.
Medieval monks sleeping in monastery attics gave us this word! Those little roof windows we see on houses today were once called 'sleepers' because they lit up the dormitories where religious communities slept. It's like calling your bedroom window a 'sleeper' — which makes perfect sense when you think about it.
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