Definition of BELFRY

belfry

Plural: belfries

Noun

  • The part of a bell tower in which bells are housed.
  • a bell tower; usually stands alone unattached to a building
  • a room (often at the top of a tower) where bells are hung
  • A tower or steeple typically containing bells, especially as part of a church.
  • A part of a large tower or steeple, specifically for containing bells.
  • A shed.
  • A movable tower used in sieges.
  • An alarm-tower; a watchtower possibly containing an alarm-bell.

Examples

  • He has bats in his belfry if he thinks that’s a valid word.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English belfrey, bellfray, belfray, from Old French belfroi, berfroi, berfrey (changed to have an ⟨l⟩ by association with bell), from Middle High German bërcvrit or bërvrit (“defensive tower”) (modern German Bergfried), possibly via Late Latin berefredus, from Proto-Germanic *bergafriþuz. Doublet of bergfried.

Synonyms

campanile

Scrabble Score: 14

belfry: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
belfry: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
belfry: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

belfry: valid Words With Friends Word