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View synonyms for belfry

belfry

[ bel-free ]

noun

, plural bel·fries.
  1. a bell tower, either attached to a church or other building or standing apart.
  2. the part of a steeple or other structure in which a bell is hung.
  3. a frame of timberwork that holds or encloses a bell.
  4. Slang. head; mind:

    a belfry full of curious notions.



belfry

/ ˈbɛlfrɪ /

noun

  1. the part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung
  2. a tower or steeple Compare campanile
  3. the timber framework inside a tower or steeple on which bells are hung
  4. (formerly) a movable tower for attacking fortifications
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of belfry1

1225–75; Middle English belfray, apparently blend of earlier berfray (< Middle French < Germanic ) and Medieval Latin belfredus, dissimilated variant of berefredus < Germanic; compare Middle High German ber ( c ) frit, equivalent to berc defense, protection, refuge (cognate with Old English gebeorg; harbor ) + frit peace, (place of ) safety (cognate with Old English frith )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of belfry1

C13: from Old French berfrei , of Germanic origin; compare Middle High German bercfrit fortified tower, Medieval Latin berfredus tower
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. have bats in one's belfry. bat 2( def 3 ).

More idioms and phrases containing belfry

see bats in one's belfry .
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Example Sentences

A tablet in the belfry commemorates the ringing of a peal of 726 changes in twenty-six minutes.

The belfry window on each face is divided into three lights with coupled shafts.

From the top of the Belfry one looks down on what is practically a medival city.

The carillon rung from the Belfry, guns were fired, and a ceremony in honour of the event took place in the Htel de Ville.

At each end there is a turret; and the belfry, a square with towers at the corners, rises from the centre of the building.

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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.

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BelfortBelg.