belfry (redirected from belfries)

bel·fry  (blfr)

n. pl. bel·fries

1. A bell tower, especially one attached to a building.

2. The part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung.

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[Middle English belfrei, from Old North French belfroi, alteration of Old French berfrei, berfroi; see bhergh-² in Indo-European roots.]

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belfried adj.

Word History: The words bell and belfry seem obviously related, but in fact the bel- portion of belfry had nothing to do with bells until comparatively recently. Belfry goes back to a compound formed in prehistoric Common Germanic. It is generally agreed that the second part of this compound is the element *frij-, meaning "peace, safety." The first element is either *bergan, "to protect," which would yield a compound meaning "a defensive place of shelter," or *berg-, "a high place," which would yield a compound meaning "a high place of safety, tower." Whatever the meaning of the original Germanic source, its Old French descendant berfrei, which first meant "siege tower," came to mean "watchtower." Presumably because bells were used in these towers, the word was applied to bell towers as well. The Old North French alteration belfroi, which reminded English speakers of their native word belle (our bell), entered Middle English with the sense "bell tower."

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belfry [ˈbɛlfrɪ]

n pl -fries

1. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Architecture) the part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung

2. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Architecture) a tower or steeple Compare campanile

3. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Architecture) the timber framework inside a tower or steeple on which bells are hung

4. (Military) (formerly) a movable tower for attacking fortifications

[from Old French berfrei, of Germanic origin; compare Middle High German bercfrit fortified tower, Medieval Latin berfredus tower]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	belfry - a bell tower; usually stands alone unattached to a building campanile bell tower - a tower that supports or shelters a bell
	2.	belfry - a room (often at the top of a tower) where bells are hung bell tower - a tower that supports or shelters a bell room - an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling; "the rooms were very small but they had a nice view"

Translations

belfry [ˈbelfrɪ] N → campanario m

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belfry [ˈbɛlfri] n → beffroi m

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belfry

n → Glockenstube f ? bat¹

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belfry [ˈbɛlfrɪ] n → campanile m

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belfry [ˈbɛlfrɪ] n → campanile m

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belfry

n belfry [ˈbelfri]

the part of a (church) tower in which bells are hung. kloktoring قُبَّة جَرَس камбанария zvonice klokketårn der Glockenstuhl καμπαναριό campanario kellatorn برج ناقوس کلیسا kellotapuli clocher מִגְדָל פָּעָמוֹן הַכּנֶסִייָה घण्टाघर zvonik harangtorony menara lonceng klukkuturn campanile 鐘楼 종루, 종탑 varpinė zvanu tornis menara loceng klokketoren klokketårn dzwonnica campanário clopotniţă колокольня zvonica zvonik zvonik klocktorn, klockstapel หอระฆัง çan kulesi 鐘樓 дзвіниця گرجے کا گھنٹہ گھر tháp chuông 钟楼