From the word’s history
From room + -mate.
由 room「房間」加 -mate「夥伴」組成。
Picture two beds, two desks, one door: the other person who lives inside the same living space as you. The word is built out of room + mate — 'the person you share the room with' — and everything it means comes from how big that shared space is taken to be.
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
roommatenoun/ˈɹu(m)ˌmeɪt/
- 1
A person with whom one shares a room, as in a dormitory, barracks, rooming house, or apartment.
- 2
A person sharing the same home albeit not the same room (but generally not a family member or spouse).
- I live with Marsha. We’re roommates.
- 3
A same-sex significant other with whom one lives; a coinhabitant in a non-heterosexual relationship.
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。