Illustration of steeple
steeple
noun
stee·ple ˈstē-pəl 
: a tall structure usually having a small spire at the top and surmounting a church tower
broadly : a whole church tower
steepled
ˈstē-pəld
adjective 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Exploria Stadium stands a stone’s throw from the church’s steeple. 
Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Sep. 2022 Three hours later, flames were visible in the steeple of the old grade school. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 20 July 2022 Two days before the start of this Grand Slam tournament, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were practicing on adjacent grass courts with the steeple of St. Mary’s Church for a backdrop. New York Times, 25 June 2022 Agape Pastor Florin Docea estimated the cost to repair just the steeple at about $30,000. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 3 June 2022 My papa’s house furled and unfurled, high as a church steeple in some parts, and low as a dung beetle in others. Okwiri Oduor, Harper’s Magazine , 22 June 2022 The wooden chapel is topped by a wooden steeple in a cross design. Kelly Kazek | Kkazek@al.com, al, 22 June 2022 The steeple and the basement are the next projects on the list. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 3 June 2022 The parish is perpetually shrinking, its congregants forever aging beneath the Victorian Gothic steeple. Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 See More
Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Sep. 2022 Three hours later, flames were visible in the steeple of the old grade school. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 20 July 2022 Two days before the start of this Grand Slam tournament, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were practicing on adjacent grass courts with the steeple of St. Mary’s Church for a backdrop. New York Times, 25 June 2022 Agape Pastor Florin Docea estimated the cost to repair just the steeple at about $30,000. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 3 June 2022 My papa’s house furled and unfurled, high as a church steeple in some parts, and low as a dung beetle in others. Okwiri Oduor, Harper’s Magazine , 22 June 2022 The wooden chapel is topped by a wooden steeple in a cross design. Kelly Kazek | Kkazek@al.com, al, 22 June 2022 The steeple and the basement are the next projects on the list. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 3 June 2022 The parish is perpetually shrinking, its congregants forever aging beneath the Victorian Gothic steeple. Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English stepel, from Old English stēpel tower; akin to Old English stēap steep
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
steeple
noun
stee·ple ˈstē-pəl
1
: a tall pointed structure usually built on top of a church tower
2
: a church tower