belfry

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bel·fry

(bĕl′frē)

n. pl. bel·fries

1. A bell tower, especially one attached to a building.

2. The part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung.

[Middle English belfrei, from Old North French belfroi, alteration of Old French berfrei, berfroi; see bhergh- in Indo-European roots.]

bel′fried adj.

Word History: The words bell and belfry seem obviously related, but in fact the bel- portion of belfry had nothing to do with bells until comparatively recently. Belfry goes back to a compound formed in the prehistoric common ancestor of the Germanic languages. It is generally agreed that the second part of this compound is the element *frij-, meaning "peace, safety." The first element is either *bergan, "to protect," which would yield a compound meaning "a defensive place of shelter," or *berg-, "a high place," which would yield a compound meaning "a high place of safety, tower." Whatever the meaning of the original Germanic source, its Old French descendant berfrei, which first meant "siege tower," came to mean "watchtower." Presumably because bells were used in these towers, the word was applied to bell towers as well. The Old North French alteration belfroi, which must have reminded Middle English speakers of their native word belle (our bell), entered Middle English with the sense "bell tower."

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

belfry

(ˈbɛlfrɪ)

n, pl -fries

1. (Architecture) the part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung

2. (Architecture) a tower or steeple. Compare campanile

3. (Architecture) the timber framework inside a tower or steeple on which bells are hung

4. (Military) (formerly) a movable tower for attacking fortifications

[C13: from Old French berfrei, of Germanic origin; compare Middle High German bercfrit fortified tower, Medieval Latin berfredus tower]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bel•fry

(ˈbɛl fri)

n., pl. -fries.

1. a bell tower either attached to a church or other building or standing apart.

2. the part of a steeple or other structure in which a bell is hung.

3. a frame of timberwork that encloses a bell.

[1225–75; Middle English belfray, berfray < Old French < Frankish; compare Middle High German ber(c)frit siegetower]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	belfry - a bell tower; usually stands alone unattached to a building campanile bell tower - a tower that supports or shelters a bell
	2.	belfry - a room (often at the top of a tower) where bells are hung bell tower - a tower that supports or shelters a bell room - an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling; "the rooms were very small but they had a nice view"

Translations

قُبَّة جَرَس

zvonice

klokketårn

Glockenstuhl

kellotorni

clocher

harangtorony

klukkuturn

campanile

varpinė

zvanu tornis

çan kulesi

belfry

[ˈbelfrɪ] N → campanario m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

belfry

[ˈbɛlfri] n → beffroi m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

belfry

n → Glockenstube f ? bat¹

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

belfry

[ˈbɛlfrɪ] n → campanile m

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

belfry

(ˈbelfri) – plural ˈbelfries – noun

the part of a (church) tower in which bells are hung.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

Above the session-room of the Council is the steeple, and in the steeple is the belfry, where exists, and has existed time out of mind, the pride and wonder of the village -- the great clock of the borough of Vondervotteimittiss.

View in context

For as in landscape gardening, a spire, cupola, monument, or tower of some sort, is deemed almost indispensable to the completion of the scene; so no face can be physiognomically in keeping without the elevated open-work belfry of the nose.

View in context

Then, on the right and the left, to east and west, within that wall of the City, which was yet so contracted, rose the bell towers of its one and twenty churches, of every date, of every form, of every size, from the low and wormeaten belfry of Saint-Denis du Pas ( Carcer Glaueini ) to the slender needles of Saint-Pierre aux Boeufs and Saint-Landry.

View in context

In fact, at the end of a few minutes the belfry of St.

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At last, in the further edge of that town I saw a small funeral procession -- just a family and a few friends following a coffin -- no priest; a funeral without bell, book, or candle; there was a church there close at hand, but they passed it by weeping, and did not enter it; I glanced up at the belfry, and there hung the bell, shrouded in black, and its tongue tied back.

View in context

Far in the distance in that birch and fir forest to the right of the road, the cross and belfry of the Kolocha Monastery gleamed in the sun.

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Indeed, the charge was mostly an ignorant misunderstanding of the love of solitude and secret prayer, and was founded on his being often found kneeling, not before the altar, but in peculiar places, in the crypts or gallery, or even in the belfry. He was at the moment about to enter the church through the yard of the smithy, but stopped and frowned a little as he saw his brother's cavernous eyes staring in the same direction.

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The ten liveried archers were variously disposed about the church to keep him company; two of them being locked in a tiny crypt, three in the belfry, "to ring us a wedding peal," as Robin said; and the others under quire seats or in the vestry.

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Why, I'll wager I can go up into the belfry of the Accoules, and without staggering, too!"

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Tarr and Professor Fether"; such bits of extravaganza as "The Devil in the Belfry" and "The Angel of the Odd"; such tales of adventure as "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym"; such papers of keen criticism and review as won for Poe the enthusiastic admiration of Charles Dickens, although they made him many enemies among the over-puffed minor American writers so mercilessly exposed by him; such poems of beauty and melody as "The Bells," "The Haunted Palace," "Tamerlane," "The City in the Sea" and "The Raven." What delight for the jaded senses of the reader is this enchanted domain of wonder-pieces!

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Poe, as I knew it from his 'Tales of the Grotesque erred Arabesque.' I suppose the very poorest of these was the "Devil in the Belfry," but such as it was I followed it as closely as I could in the "Devil in the Smoke-Pipes"; I meant tobacco-pipes.

View in context

Inter they climbed the earthquake racked belfry, noting the hand-hewn timbers; and in the gallery, discovering the pure quality of their voices, Saxon, trembling at her own temerity, softly sang the opening bars of "Jesus Lover of My Soul." Delighted with the result, she leaned over the railing, gradually increasing her voice to its full strength as she sang: