Rumor vs. Roomer

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Grammarist

Rumor and roomer are two commonly confused words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings, which makes them homophones. We will examine the different meanings of the homophonic words rumor and roomer, the word origin of the terms, and some examples of their English usage in sentences.

A rumor is a piece of unverified information, gossip passed without knowing its origin or accuracy, or a story without a basis in fact. The word rumor is derived from the Latin word rumorem, which means hearsay or noise. Rumor is used as a noun or a verb, related forms are rumors, rumored, rumoring. The British spelling is rumour.

A roomer is someone who rents one room in a larger house or apartment. The word roomer is an agent noun formed from the word room. An agent noun describes a person who performs the action of the root verb. The word roomer came into use in the 1870s and is primarily an American usage.

Examples

During their hour-long discussion, Oprah and Gaga discussed everything from managing her fibromyalgia to her rumored relationship with A Star Is Born co-star Bradley Cooper. (Rolling Stone Magazine)

Boeing (BA) stock rose Tuesday amid rumors that investing legend Warren Buffett is buying shares as Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB) looks to put some of its massive cash pile to use. (Investor’s Business Daily)

Some lawyers at BNI believe that outside of Baltimore City, a roomer has the right to stay in the property only until the rent is consumed and then may be told to leave immediately or be considered a trespasser. (The Baltimore Sun)

“I would have had to bring in a roomer,” says Schill, who worked for 39 years as a “low-paid LPN.” (The Erie Reader)

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