belfry
Use Belfry in a sentence
fri noun, plural bel·fries.
Idioms 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 holds or encloses a bell.
4.
Slang. head; mind: a belfry full of curious notions.
5.
00:10
Belfry
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Origin:
1225–75; Middle English belfray, apparently blend of earlier berfray (< Middle French < Germanic) and Medieval Latin belfredus, dissimilated variant of berefredus < Germanic; compare Middle High German ber(c) frit, equivalent to berc defense, protection, refuge (cognate with Old English gebeorg; see harbor) + frit peace, (place of) safety (cognate with Old English frith)
1225–75; Middle English belfray, apparently blend of earlier berfray (< Middle French < Germanic) and Medieval Latin belfredus, dissimilated variant of berefredus < Germanic; compare Middle High German ber(c) frit, equivalent to berc defense, protection, refuge (cognate with Old English gebeorg; see harbor) + frit peace, (place of) safety (cognate with Old English frith)
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To belfry
Collins
World English Dictionary
belfry (ˈbɛlfrɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -fries | |
| 1. | the part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung |
| 2. | Compare campanile a tower or steeple |
| 3. | the timber framework inside a tower or steeple on which bells are hung |
| 4. | (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 & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
belfry
late 13c., "siege tower," from O.N.Fr. berfroi "movable siege tower" (Mod.Fr. beffroi), from M.H.G. bercfrit "protecting shelter," lit. "that which watches over peace," from bergen "to protect" + frid "peace." Originally a wooden siege tower on wheels ("free" to move); it came to be used for chime towers
(mid-15c.), which at first often were detached from church buildings (as the Campanile on Plaza San Marco in Venice). Spelling altered by association with bell.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
He is represented holding in his right hand a sceptre, and in his left a building with a tower or belfry.
The top of the tower contains a belfry for the clock chimes.
Belfry considers all of its lines to be gathering or distribution.
The belfry houses one of the oldest bells in the valley.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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