balcony

[bal-kuh-nee]

noun

plural

balconies 

1. a balustraded or railed elevated platform projecting from the wall of a building.

2. a gallery in a theater.

balcony

/ ˈbælkənɪ /

noun

1. a platform projecting from the wall of a building with a balustrade or railing along its outer edge, often with access from a door or window

2. a gallery in a theatre or auditorium, above the dress circle

3. any circle or gallery in a theatre or auditorium including the dress circle

Other Word Forms

• balconied adjective
• unbalconied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of balcony¹

1610–20; < Italian balcone balcony, floor-length window < Langobardic (compare Old High German balc ( h ) o, accusative singular balcon beam; balk ); sense extended from the beam over an aperture to the aperture itself

Word History and Origins

Origin of balcony¹

C17: from Italian balcone , probably from Old High German balko beam; see _balk

Example Sentences

But on the streets of Havana and Hialeah, Miami, reparto is inescapable, pulsing from balconies and portable speakers on the beach.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Trundling up an ungainly lift to reach a second-story balcony seems like Woody Allen’s hapless bank robber trying to tunnel his way into vaults in “Small Time Crooks.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

At Yorkshire's home ground, Headingley, he paid for a balcony outside the dressing room for the players to sit and watch the game.

Read more on BBC

Upstairs, the primary suite comes with a private balcony.

Read more on MarketWatch

The One Direction star died aged 31, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• box 
• gallery 
• mezzanine 
• platform 
• porch 
• stoop 
• terrace 
• veranda