noun
belfry
BEL-free/ˈbelfri/
A tower or room where bells are hung.
Two bells hang inside the belfry.
Etymology
The ancestor berfroi named a movable siege tower. The word later came to designate a tower housing bells, giving it its present architectural meaning.
In context
peals from the belfry for a high mass
More examples
- Birds nested in the church’s belfry.
- A narrow staircase led to the belfry.
- The old belfry rose above the roof.
Forms
belfry · belfries
Similar words
- bell tower
- Bell tower is the direct equivalent when belfry means a whole tower.
- steeple
- A steeple is a tall church structure that may contain a belfry; the belfry is where bells hang.