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balcony

 - 3 dictionary results

bal⋅co⋅ny

[bal-kuh-nee]
–noun, plural -nies.
1. a balustraded or railed elevated platform projecting from the wall of a building.
2. a gallery in a theater.

Origin:
1610–20; < It balcone balcony, floor-length window < Langobardic (cf. OHG balc(h)o, acc. sing. balcon beam; see balk ); sense extended from the beam over an aperture to the aperture itself


bal⋅co⋅nied, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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bal·co·ny   (bāl'kə-nē)   
n.   pl. bal·co·nies
  1. A platform that projects from the wall of a building and is surrounded by a railing, balustrade, or parapet.

  2. A gallery that projects over the main floor in a theater or auditorium.


[Italian balcone, from Old Italian, scaffold, of Germanic origin.]
bal'co·nied (-nēd) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

balcony

external extension of an upper floor of a building, enclosed up to a height of about three feet (one metre) by a solid or pierced screen, by balusters (see also balustrade), or by railings. In the medieval and Renaissance periods, balconies were supported by corbels made out of successive courses of stonework, or by large wooden or stone brackets. Since the 19th century, supports of cast iron, reinforced concrete, and other materials have become common.

Learn more about balcony with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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