A gambrel (also known as a Dutch gambrel) is a usually
symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. The
upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle while the lower
slope is quite steep. This design provides the advantages of a
sloped roof while maximizing head space on the building's upper
level. The name comes from the Medieval Latin word gamba meaning
hoof, or leg of an animal. It is not uncommon for a gambrel roof
to be referred to as a Mansard roof, although the more precise
usage of the terms gambrel and Mansard is that a gambrel roof
applies the two-slope idea to only two sides of the building
(forming gables), whereas a Mansard roof applies the two-slope
idea to all four sides of the building (forming hips). It is
also not uncommon for laypeople not versed in architectural
terms to refer to a gambrel roof as a barn roof (because
gambrels are often mentally associated with barns). GOING DUTCH
TRADITIONAL COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE EXHIBITS THE ENDURANCE OF THE
NETHERLANDS' ARTS AND CULTURE.(AT H