belfry
oxford
views updated May 18 2018bel·fry / ˈbelfrē/ •
n. (pl. -fries) a bell tower or steeple housing bells, esp. one that is part of a church. ∎ a space for hanging bells in a church tower.
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
belfry
oxford
views updated May 11 2018belfry. 1. Bell-tower, generally attached to a church or other building, and sometimes standing separate.
2. Stage of a tower in which bells are hung and from which the sound is emitted, called the
belfry-stage, identified by its (usually)
louvred openings.
3. Framing on which bells are supported.
A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture JAMES STEVENS CURL
belfry
oxford
views updated May 11 2018belfry †movable siege-tower XIII; bell-tower or -chamber XV. ME.
berfrey,
belfrey — OF.
berfrei,
belfrei (mod.
beffroi) — Frankish *
berzfriō, prob. f. *
berʒan protect + *
friǒuz peace, shelter; the etymol. meaning being ‘defensive place of shelter’.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
