steeple
Americannoun
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an ornamental construction, usually ending in a spire, erected on a roof or tower of a church, public building, etc.
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a tower terminating in such a construction.
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(loosely) a spire.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a tall ornamental tower that forms the superstructure of a church, temple, etc
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such a tower with the spire above it
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any spire or pointed structure
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of steeple
before 1000; Middle English stepel steeple, tower, Old English stēpel tower. See steep 1, -le
Explanation
A steeple is a very tall tower that gets smaller and smaller as it goes up. Many churches have steeples. Steeples are really tall so people can find the church from anywhere in town. Steeples have been around since the Middle Ages. The word itself comes from Middle English for “high tower.” A steeple on top of a church or temple makes it stand out in a crowd, and it also points right up to heaven. There’s a steeple on almost every church, but if you want to see a really big one, check out the one on the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Vocabulary lists containing steeple
"The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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They Both Die at the End
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The defendant, whom the court heard now lives with his elderly mother in Steeple Bumpstead, Essex, was arrested on 11 December 2024 and admitted to a mental health hospital the following day.
From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025
A man called George has come to The Steeple for turkey stew, what he says is his first hot meal in weeks.
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2021
Luna Steeple and her 65-year-old mother are a day or two away from being kicked out of the motel where they have been living outside Detroit.
From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2021
In Michigan, Steeple and her mom are sitting in their motel looking for jobs and anxiously watching their bank account.
From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2021
The height will be about 60 feet, nearly as high as Alderley Steeple.
From Before and after Waterloo Letters from Edward Stanley, sometime Bishop of Norwich (1802; 1814; 1816) by Stanley, Edward
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
