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.
-
a tower terminating in such a construction.
-
(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
-
such a tower with the spire above it
-
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 simple contour of a chapel, its steeple slightly off-center, stands out from the wall about six inches deep.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
A motorized unit arriving to plant a flag on a church steeple and take a photo—then bolting immediately.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
We park with a view of the village church steeple backed by steely limestone peaks of the Pyrenees and lunch at a bar some feet away.
From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025
A video shared on TikTok and Twitter shows the steeple of a church building ablaze as it slowly falls to the ground.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 16, 2023
There’s a sad sort of clanging From the clock in the hall And the bells in the steeple too.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
