Storey: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes

Meaning 1：floor (storey)

storey 🔊

/ˈstɔːri/

A level or floor in a building, like the first floor or second floor.

floor 🔊

➕

/ˈflɔːr/

Refers to a specific level or horizontal division within a building, defined by being between two successive floors.

📁 Category：Buildings & Places 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'historia' (story) via Old French 'estoree' (a picture, a floor).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a building where each 'story' (like in a book) is told on a different 'storey' (floor).

📖 Example

Their new office is on the fifth storey of that modern building, so they have a great view of the park. 🔊 The office is located on the fifth level of the building.

🔗 Collocations

multi-storey building – a building with multiple floors

two-storey house – a house with two levels

storey-high – as high as one floor of a building

🔄 Synonyms

floor (n.) – The surface of a room on which one stands; also used interchangeably with storey for building levels.

level (n.) – A position on a scale of quantity, amount, or quality; also a floor within a structure.

deck (n.) – A platform or floor, especially on a ship or in a building.

🌱 Derivatives

storeyed (adj.) – having a specified number of storeys or floors

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'storey' originates from the Old French 'estoree', meaning a picture or a decoration, which itself came from Latin 'historia' (story). Medieval buildings had painted windows or sculptures on different levels, each 'storey' telling a visual story, a tradition that gave the level its name.