belfry

English

Etymology

From Old French berfrey (changed to have an l by association with bell), from Middle High German bërcvrit / bërvrit , possibly from late Latin berefredus, borrowed from Germanic *bergfrid.

Pronunciation

• enPR: bĕlʹfrē, IPA: /ˈbɛlfri/, SAMPA: /"bElfri/

Noun

belfry (plural belfries)

1. (obsolete) A moveable tower used in sieges.
2. (dialectal) A shed.
3. (obsolete) An alarm-tower; a watchtower containing an alarm-bell.
4. (architecture) A tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church.
5. (architecture) A part of a large tower or steeple, specifically for containing bells.
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Episode 12, The Cyclops

     From the belfries far and near the funereal deathbell tolled unceasingly while all around the gloomy precincts rolled the ominous warning of a hundred muffled drums punctuated by the hollow booming of pieces of ordnance.

Derived terms

• have bats in one's belfry, have bats in the belfry

Translations

moveable tower used in sieges

Bulgarian: обсадна кула (bg)

Finnish: piiritystorni

watchtower containing an alarm-bell

Bulgarian: наблюдателна кула (bg)

Finnish: kellotorni (fi)

tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church

Bulgarian: камбанария (bg) Dutch: klokkentoren (nl) m. Finnish: kellotorni (fi) Greek: καμπαναριό (el) (kampanario) n., κωδωνοστάσιο (el) (kodonostásio) n.

Hungarian: harangtorony (hu) Italian: campanile (it) m. Russian: колокольня (ru) (kolokól'nja) f. Spanish: campanil (es), campanario (es)

part of a large tower or steeple, specifically for containing bells

Bulgarian: камбанария (bg) Finnish: kellotorni (fi)

Greek: κωδωνοστάσιο (el) (kodonostásio) n.

References

• "Belfry" in Michael Quinion, Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds, 2004.