Eaves are the lower edges of a roof that stick out beyond the walls of a building, forming the overhang you see around the roofline.

Basic meaning

  • In everyday use, eaves refers to the part of the roof that projects past the wall and creates a small sheltered strip around a house.
  • The word is almost always used in the plural (“the eaves”), even though it can refer to this feature in general.

What eaves do

  • They help direct rainwater away from the walls and foundation, protecting the building from water damage.
  • Eaves can also shade windows and walls, which can help with temperature control inside the house.

Other nuances

  • The term can also describe the sheltered area right under that overhanging part of the roof, such as “birds nesting in the eaves.”
  • The word comes from Old English efes , meaning something like “edge” or “border,” originally referring to the edge of a roof.

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