clerestory

American  

[kleer-stawr-ee, -stohr-ee] / ˈklɪərˌstɔr i, -ˌstoʊr i /

Or clearstory

noun

plural

clerestories

1. Architecture. a portion of an interior rising above adjacent rooftops and having windows admitting daylight to the interior.

2. a raised construction, as on the roof of a railroad car, having windows or slits for admitting light or air.

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clerestory British  

/ ˈklɪəˌstɔːrɪ /

noun

1. a row of windows in the upper part of the wall of a church that divides the nave from the aisle, set above the aisle roof

2. the part of the wall in which these windows are set Compare blindstorey

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Other Word Forms

• clerestoried adjective

Etymology

Origin of clerestory

1375–1425; late Middle English, equivalent to clere clear + story story ²

Example Sentences

The lighting is bright to the point of excess, overpowering the light from the stained-glass windows of the clerestory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

To add light and privacy, Ramirez included raised clerestory windows and multiple skylights.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2022

Fading daylight pours in through the clerestory high up in the nave, sending dust-filled shafts across a space so staggeringly tall it could have been designed by giraffes.

From Slate • Feb. 26, 2022

But it wasn’t until Saturday, with the winter sun shining through the clerestory windows of Allen Fieldhouse, that they finally took to the floor together.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 11, 2021

And the last stage was the clerestory, which consisted of sixty-foot windows that reached right up to the roof.

From "Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction" by David Macaulay