Which term describes the part of a roof that meets or overhangs the walls of a building?

The term that describes the part of a roof that meets or overhangs the walls of a building is the eave. Eaves serve several important functions, including directing rainwater away from the building's walls and providing shade, which can help to keep the structure cooler in warm weather. They are the horizontal overhangs found at the edges of the roof, extending beyond the exterior walls.

In the context of roofing terminology, other terms like ridge, hip, and gable refer to different aspects of a roof's structure. The ridge is the highest point of the roof where two slopes meet, the hip is the external angle formed when two roof slopes meet, and the gable refers to the triangular part of a wall that is located between the edges of a sloped roof. These terms, while they pertain to various components of a roof, do not describe the portion that extends over the walls, solidifying the eave as the correct answer.