headroom
Space above you
Headroom is the vertical clearance between a surface and what's above it—the space available for your head.
A bridge has limited headroom for tall vehicles; a car with good headroom feels spacious for passengers.
Figuratively, headroom means capacity for growth or maneuvering: The budget gives us some headroom for unexpected costs.
In audio engineering, headroom is the margin between normal signal levels and distortion.
Permitted passage or approval
- ceilingRoom's upper surface
- overheadLocated directly above
- heightVertical extent upward
- gapUnfilled space between
distance · margin · tolerance · buffer · allowance · doorway · passageway · underpass
Data transmission capacity
- potentialLatent capacity for development
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- flexibilityAbility to adapt easily
- reserveSupply kept back
margin · buffer · leeway · latitude · slack · surplus · cushion · safety margin
Signal amplitude span
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- clippingPiece cut out
- distortionTwisting from original state
- gain stagingOptimizing signal levels sequentially
peaks · transients · loudness · metering · ceiling · limiter · mastering · mixing
Increase in scope
- developmentProgress toward maturity
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- upsideFavorable aspect
- potentialLatent capacity for development
opportunity · advancement · improvement · progress · increase · career advancement · untapped potential
- SUVRugged passenger vehicle
- minivanMultipurpose family vehicle
- passenger comfortTraveler physical ease
- sunroofRetractable automotive ceiling panel
clearance
Permitted passage or approval
gap · distance · margin · tolerance · buffer · allowance · doorway · passageway · underpass · low bridge
bandwidth
Data transmission capacity
- potentialLatent capacity for development
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- flexibilityAbility to adapt easily
reserve · margin · buffer · leeway · latitude · slack · surplus · cushion · safety margin · spare capacity
dynamic range
Signal amplitude span
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- clippingPiece cut out
- distortionTwisting from original state
gain staging · peaks · transients · loudness · metering · ceiling · limiter · mastering · mixing · decibels
expansion
Increase in scope
- developmentProgress toward maturity
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- upsideFavorable aspect
potential · opportunity · advancement · improvement · progress · increase · career advancement · untapped potential
ceiling clearance
- SUVRugged passenger vehicle
- minivanMultipurpose family vehicle
- passenger comfortTraveler physical ease
- personal spacepersonal bubble, social distance, buffer zone, comfort zone, proximity
- vehicle specstowing, wheelbase, hauling, fuel economy, acceleration
- measurementsheight, stature, meters, depth, pound
- limitslimit, limits, limitation, upper limit, lower limit
- leewaylatitude, slack, margin, play, flexibility
- space constraintsconfined, cramped, restricted, tight space, cramped quarters
headroomlow ceiling
Overhead surface uncomfortably close
low clearance · cramped · constriction · tight squeeze · confined space
headroomconstraint
Limiting condition or rule
maxed out · at capacity · capacity limit · limitation · ceiling
head, room, forehead, headway, airhead, pinhead, hothead, bonehead, behead