belfry

noun

bel·fry ˈbel-frē How to pronounce belfry (audio)

plural belfries

: a bell tower

especially : one surmounting or attached to another structure

: a room or framework for enclosing a bell

: head sense 2a

batty in the belfry

Did you know?

Surprisingly, belfry does not come from bell, and early belfries did not contain bells at all. Belfry comes from the Middle English berfrey, a term for a wooden tower used in medieval sieges. The structure could be rolled up to a fortification wall so that warriors hidden inside could storm the battlements. Over time, the term was applied to other types of shelters and towers, many of which had bells in them. This association of berfrey with bell towers, seems to have influenced the dissimilation of the first r in berfrey to an l, and people began representing this pronunciation in writing with variants such as bellfray, belfrey, and belfry (the last of which has become the standard spelling). On a metaphorical note, someone who has "bats in the belfry" is insane or eccentric. This phrase is responsible for the use of bats for "insane" (as in "Are you completely bats?") and the occasional use of belfry for "head" ("He's not quite right in the belfry").

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web And, most recently, the raising of the belfry almost didn’t happen.

Peter Demarco, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022 Brave the queues and clamber to the top of the 83-meter (272-foot) Belfort, or belfry, for views over the rooftops, with the port of Zeebrugge in the distance.

Joe Minihane, CNN, 13 July 2022 Back then, the clock tower was the most advanced and ambitious public building of its age, but by 2017, stonework was deteriorating, water was leaking into the belfry, and the steps, ironwork and guttering were all in need of repair.

New York Times, 3 July 2022 The belfry now itself is a near-Victorian image, full of gigantic wheels, towering brick walls and hippo-sized bells.

Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, 23 Dec. 2021 The tourist office has created a virtual tour of the historic belfry, currently inaccessible to those unable to climb stairs, and is looking to create tours of the city in sign language.

Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2021 The 1,500-pound bell was hoisted into the belfry of the church’s steeple more than two-and-a-half years after it was removed for restorations.

BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2021 The script is by an entirely new team (Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Ben Queen, and Susanna Fogel), and in some ineffable bats-in-the-belfry way the jokes now land with a more inspired and spontaneous creepy kookiness.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2021 In 1789, the church added a two level square brick tower complete with an octagonal belfry capped by a tall weather vane.

Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 11 Sep. 2021 See More

单词	belfry
释义	belfry noun bel·fry ˈbel-frē plural belfries 1 : a bell tower especially : one surmounting or attached to another structure 2 : a room or framework for enclosing a bell 3 : head sense 2a batty in the belfry Illustration of belfry belfry 1 Did you know? Surprisingly, belfry does not come from bell, and early belfries did not contain bells at all. Belfry comes from the Middle English berfrey, a term for a wooden tower used in medieval sieges. The structure could be rolled up to a fortification wall so that warriors hidden inside could storm the battlements. Over time, the term was applied to other types of shelters and towers, many of which had bells in them. This association of berfrey with bell towers, seems to have influenced the dissimilation of the first r in berfrey to an l, and people began representing this pronunciation in writing with variants such as bellfray, belfrey, and belfry (the last of which has become the standard spelling). On a metaphorical note, someone who has "bats in the belfry" is insane or eccentric. This phrase is responsible for the use of bats for "insane" (as in "Are you completely bats?") and the occasional use of belfry for "head" ("He's not quite right in the belfry"). Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web And, most recently, the raising of the belfry almost didn’t happen. Peter Demarco, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022 Brave the queues and clamber to the top of the 83-meter (272-foot) Belfort, or belfry, for views over the rooftops, with the port of Zeebrugge in the distance. Joe Minihane, CNN, 13 July 2022 Back then, the clock tower was the most advanced and ambitious public building of its age, but by 2017, stonework was deteriorating, water was leaking into the belfry, and the steps, ironwork and guttering were all in need of repair. New York Times, 3 July 2022 The belfry now itself is a near-Victorian image, full of gigantic wheels, towering brick walls and hippo-sized bells. Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, 23 Dec. 2021 The tourist office has created a virtual tour of the historic belfry, currently inaccessible to those unable to climb stairs, and is looking to create tours of the city in sign language. Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2021 The 1,500-pound bell was hoisted into the belfry of the church’s steeple more than two-and-a-half years after it was removed for restorations. BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2021 The script is by an entirely new team (Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Ben Queen, and Susanna Fogel), and in some ineffable bats-in-the-belfry way the jokes now land with a more inspired and spontaneous creepy kookiness. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2021 In 1789, the church added a two level square brick tower complete with an octagonal belfry capped by a tall weather vane. Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 11 Sep. 2021 See More Word History Etymology Middle English belfrey, berfrey, bell tower, siege tower, from Anglo-French berfrei, belfrei, of Germanic origin (akin to Middle High German bërvrit siege tower); akin to Old High German bergan to shelter and to Old English frith peace, refuge — more at bury First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing belfry bats in the/one's belfry bats in the/one's belfry Kids Definition belfry noun bel·fry ˈbel-frē plural belfries : a tower or room in a tower for a bell or set of bells belfry noun as in skull a person's mental ability The old codger has cobwebs in the belfry. Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance skull head brain gray matter loaf intellect noodle mind cerebrum reason intelligence psyche perception thinker wit judgment perspicacity sagacity alertness mentality insight brilliance astuteness acumen wisdom cognizance consciousness awareness sapience judgement self-consciousness self-awareness
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belfry

noun

Illustration of belfry

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing belfry

Kids Definition

noun

noun