clerestory

or clear·sto·ry

[ kleer-stawr-ee, -stohr-ee ]

/ ˈklɪərˌstɔr i, -ˌstoʊr i /

noun, plural clere·sto·ries.

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

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

Nearby words

cleptobiosis, cleptocracy, cleptomania, cleptomaniac, clerc, clerestory, clergy, clergy, benefit of, clergyman, clergyperson, clergywoman

Origin of clerestory

1375–1425; late Middle English, equivalent to clere clear + story story²

Related formsclere·sto·ried, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for clerestory

Here, as in the cathedral, the idea of the balustrade under the clerestory is carried out.
Normandy, Complete|Gordon Home
The nave is wide, with clerestory; the narrow chancel has a chapel on the N. side.
Hertfordshire|Herbert W Tompkins
When he rose from his knees, the church was dark, but through the windows of the clerestory many stars were shining.
Thomas Wingfold, Curate|George MacDonald
The main arches and triforium are Norman, the clerestory and vaulting Early English (circa 1250).
The Cathedrals of Great Britain|P. H. Ditchfield

The curious junction of the later vault with the ogee-shaped arches of the clerestory should be noticed.
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Norwich|C. H. B. Quennell

British Dictionary definitions for clerestory

clerestory

clearstory

/ (ˈklɪəˌstɔːrɪ) /

noun plural -ries

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

the part of the wall in which these windows are setCompare blindstorey

Derived Formsclerestoried or clearstoried, adjective

Word Origin for clerestory

C15: from clear + storey

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

Word Origin and History for clerestory

clerestory

early 15c., probably from clere "clear," in a sense "light, lighted" (see clear (adj.)), and story (n.2), though this sense of that word is not otherwise found so early. Originally the upper part of the nave, transepts, and choir of a large church; so called because pierced with windows. Related: Clerestorial.