belfry

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English belfry, bellfray, belfray, berfrey, barfray, from Old French belfroi, berfroi, berfrey, from Late Latin berfrēdus, from Frankish *bergafriþu, from Proto-Germanic *bergafriþuz, equivalent to barrow +‎ frith. English forms containing bel- as opposed to ber- were preferred due to false association with English bell. Cognate with Middle High German bërcvrit, bërvrit (“defensive tower”) (modern German Bergfried), Middle Dutch bergfrede, bergfert. Doublet of bergfried. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbɛlfɹi/, enPR: bĕlʹfrē Rhymes: -ɛlfɹi === Noun === belfry (plural belfries) (architecture) A tower or steeple typically containing bells, especially as part of a church. (architecture) A part of a large tower or steeple, specifically for containing bells. (dialectal) A shed. (obsolete) A movable tower used in sieges. (obsolete) An alarm-tower; a watchtower possibly containing an alarm-bell. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === Michael Quinion (2004), “Belfry”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.