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-kuh-nee] 
