From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishceilingcei‧ling /ˈsiːlɪŋ/ ●●● S3 W3 noun [countable] 1 TBBthe inner surface of the top part of a room → roof rooms with high ceilings a light hanging from the ceiling2 LIMITthe largest number or amount of something that is officially allowedceiling of a public spending ceiling of £240 billionimpose/set/put a ceiling (on something) The government imposed a ceiling on imports of foreign cars.raise/lower the ceiling (on something)3 TTA technical the greatest height an aircraft can fly at or the level of the clouds → glass ceiling
Examples from the Corpus
ceiling• There is a ceiling on the amount of foreign investment allowed in any company in the country.• The wooden beams and ceiling were crackling in the extreme heat.• Windows were shattered and ceilings cracked in several nearby towns.• The walls and ceilings were black, and the sole illumination was provided by black candles set in empty cat food cans.• But the tour revealed that the building has retained many treasures from its past: Its cathedral ceilings still have rounded corners.• Congress was once again considering raising the federal debt ceiling.• Millions of federal employees may not receive paychecks unless Congress raises the debt ceiling.• Import quotas may rise from the present ceiling of 18.5 million to 20 million.• Genius is Michelangelo at work on the Sistine ceiling.• Benny found herself in a rock-walled tunnel, with bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling at regular intervals.• And heaped up in one corner, almost touching the ceiling, was a huge pile of junk.• The ossuary inside the sanctuary is square with a vaulted ceiling.impose/set/put a ceiling (on something)• We know the MiG-2s already set a ceiling record of 120,000 feet.• It often pays the artist to try and put a ceiling figure on these expenses.• The Chancellor has set a ceiling of £250,000.• We will issue factories and power stations with licences setting a ceiling on permitted emissions of pollutants.• The regulations set a ceiling of 15 parts per billion.• So they risk losing most potential economic growth if a climate treaty sets ceilings on emissions.From Longman Business Dictionaryceilingcei‧ling /ˈsiːlɪŋ/ noun [countable] the largest level, amount, or number of something that is officially allowedOil price ceilings remained in place for a decade.the strict spending ceilings imposed by last year’s budgetWage ceilings needed to be introduced and the state pension scheme overhauled.ceiling onThe new government set a ceiling on prices for basic foodstuffs. → see also glass ceilingOrigin ceiling (1500-1600) ceil “to provide with a ceiling” ((16-20 centuries)), probably from Latin caelare “to cut into a surface” 