Ceiling and sealing are two words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings. They are homophones. We will look at the difference between the words ceiling and sealing, where the words come from and some examples of their use in sentences.
A ceiling is the upper, inner surface of a room. The word ceiling is also used figuratively to mean an upper limit, the maximum altitude that a plane may reach or the base altitude of a cloud layer. The word ceiling is derived from the Middle English word ceil, which meant to plaster over or panel a room.
Sealing may be a substance that joins two items together in a tight bond. Sealing might also mean to close off access to a document or other media. The word sealing is derived from the Old French word seel and the suffix -ing.
Examples
Painted ceiling tiles dating back to 1997 fill the corridors of the main level of the high school. (The Daily Republic)
Dig a little deeper, though, and another story emerges: a tale of frustration, disappointment and a glass ceiling that may not have been shattered quite as thoroughly as it seemed. (The Guardian)
Crack sealing is planned on Cedar Crest Boulevard and Fish Hatchery Road in Lehigh County starting Dec. 27. (The Morning Call)
Researchers would study areas such as drilling techniques, wellbore stability, sealing and properties of the subsurface with a goal of determining whether deep boreholes in the area could serve as safe disposal sites for nuclear waste the DOE stores at plants around the country, State Geologist and Bureau Director Scott Tinker said in a statement. (The Midland Reporter-Telegram)