Zimmer

See also: zimmer

English

Noun

Zimmer (plural Zimmers)

1. (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Ellipsis of Zimmer frame.
   • 2014, Roger Kirkpatrick, Final Chapters: Writings About the End of Life, page 52:

     As the day passes away, and body clocks begin to stutter, there are also physical assaults with Zimmers locked in combat like the horns of fighting stags.

   • 2025 October 20, Michael Hann, “‘Everyone seems to be on Zimmers’: after 70 years of hip-shaking thrills, is rock’n’roll dead?”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     He cites Rockers Reunion, in January, the first big rock’n’roll all-dayer of the year. “My reviewer made the point that everybody seems to be on sticks and Zimmers.”

Proper noun

Zimmer

1. A surname from German.

German

Etymology

From Middle High German zimber, from Old High German zimbar, from Proto-West Germanic *timr, from Proto-Germanic *timrą, from Proto-Indo-European *dem- (“build, house”) (see Proto-Indo-European *dṓm). Cognate with English timber, Swedish timmer (“timber”), and Dutch timmer (“building; construction; room”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡sɪmɐ/

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Zim‧mer
• Rhymes: -ɪmɐ

Noun

Zimmer n (strong, genitive Zimmers, plural Zimmer, diminutive Zimmerchen n)

1. room (separate part of a building, enclosed by walls, a floor and a ceiling)

   Synonym: Raum

   • 1918, Elisabeth von Heyking, “Die Orgelpfeifen”, in Zwei Erzählungen, Leipzig: Phillipp Reclam jun. Verlag, page 19:

     Die eigenen Zimmer hatten sich die Enkel nach persönlichem Geschmack eingerichtet.

     The grandchildren had furnished their own rooms according to their personal taste.

2. (obsolete) timber [until 18th c.]

Usage notes

• Zimmer is used of the rooms in a private dwelling, excluding cellar and loft unless they are furnished and used as a part of the dwelling, and usually also excluding passages, kitchens, larders, toilets, utility rooms, and the like (though a private bathroom is called Badezimmer).
• In collectively used dwellings such as hotels, shelters, or hospitals, Zimmer is used chiefly of those rooms that are private to a small number of people (one to circa ten). In barracks, these are called Stuben; in prisons, Zellen.
• In the workplace, Zimmer is less common, but it may be used e.g. of personal offices or rooms where clients are received.
• Otherwise, Raum is typically used. It is also the most general word which should be preferred in all cases of doubt. Using it for those rooms defined as Zimmer above is possible, but not always usual.

Declension

Declension of Zimmer [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Zimmer	die	Zimmer
genitive	eines	des	Zimmers	der	Zimmer
dative	einem	dem	Zimmer	den	Zimmern
accusative	ein	das	Zimmer	die	Zimmer

Hyponyms

• Arbeitszimmer n (“workroom”)
• Badezimmer n (“bathroom”)
• Behandlungszimmer n (“treatment room, surgery room”)
• Besprechungszimmer n (“meeting room, briefing room”)
• Besucherzimmer n (“visitors' room”)
• Esszimmer n (“dining room”)
• Hinterzimmer n (“backroom”)
• Hotelzimmer n (“hotel room”)
• Kinderzimmer n (“child(ren)'s room”)
• Klassenzimmer n (“classroom”)
• Schlafzimmer n (“bedroom”)
• Studierzimmer n (“study room”)
• Wohnzimmer n (“living room”)

Derived terms

• Frauenzimmer n (“woman”)
• Gästezimmer n (“guest room”)
• Zimmermann m (“carpenter”)
• Zimmernummer f (“room number”)
• Zimmerpflanze f (“houseplant, indoor plant”)
• Zimmerschlüssel m (“room key”)
• Zimmerservice m or n (“room service”)
• Zimmertemperatur f (“room temperature”)

See also

• Stube
• Kammer
• Saal (for functions)
• Platz (“place”)

Proper noun

Zimmer m or f (proper noun, surname, masculine genitive Zimmers or (with an article) Zimmer, feminine genitive Zimmer, plural Zimmers or Zimmer)

1. a surname

Further reading

• “Zimmer” in Duden online
• “Zimmer”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[2] (in German)
• Friedrich Kluge (1883), “Zimmer”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German zimber, from Old High German zimbar, from Proto-West Germanic *timr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡sima/
• Rhymes: -ima
• Syllabification: Zim‧mer

Noun

Zimmer n (plural Zimmer)

1. room

Further reading

• Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “Zimmer”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch