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

A month later, Amiryan and his spouse were sitting on a balcony when a lifted red Ford F-150 pulled up outside their building, a Burbank detective wrote in a search warrant affidavit.

From Los Angeles Times

Up on the balcony of one of the windmills, looking out at the impressive flatness of Holland, I get talking to Ishan from Canada.

From BBC

Weeks later, the pair arrange to meet in the upstairs balcony of an old movie palace.

From Los Angeles Times

Unlike me, with my sad little balcony lined with wilted pots of herbs, he had proper outdoor space — and a neighbor whose blackberry bush slouched lazily over the fence, heavy with fruit.

From Salon

He remained a constant presence at Headingley, where he paid for a balcony outside the dressing room for the players to sit and watch the game.

From BBC

Related Words

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