belfry

American  

[bel-free] / ˈbɛl fri /

noun

plural

belfries

1. a bell tower, either attached to a church or other building or standing apart.

2. the part of a steeple or other structure in which a bell is hung.

3. a frame of timberwork that holds or encloses a bell.

4. Slang. head; mind.

   a belfry full of curious notions.

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idioms

1. have bats in one's belfry. bat.

belfry British  

/ ˈbɛlfrɪ /

noun

1. the part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung

2. a tower or steeple Compare campanile

3. the timber framework inside a tower or steeple on which bells are hung

4. (formerly) a movable tower for attacking fortifications

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belfry More Idioms  

1. see bats in one's belfry.

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Etymology

Origin of belfry

1225–75; Middle English belfray, apparently blend of earlier berfray (< Middle French < Germanic ) and Medieval Latin belfredus, dissimilated variant of berefredus < Germanic; compare Middle High German ber ( c ) frit, equivalent to berc defense, protection, refuge (cognate with Old English gebeorg; see harbor) + frit peace, (place of ) safety (cognate with Old English frith )

Explanation

A belfry is a part of a tall tower or steeple that holds bells. Those bells are loud — you would not want to be up in the belfry when they start ringing at noon! A typical belfry is at the top of a church steeple. It's open on all sides so the sound of the ringing bells can escape — if you look up, you can see the large bells through the openings in the belfry. The word comes from roots meaning "to protect" and "peace," and the original meaning was "wooden watch tower." These ancient belfries held watchmen, but also warning bells. The phrase "bats in the belfry" describes someone who's quite eccentric.

Example Sentences

The chapel, whose unusual design includes three spires, two steeples, a belfry and separate sanctuaries for Catholics and Protestants, has been locked and left to decay since being damaged in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Even the minaret is buried in the belfry of the church.

From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2022

There’s the formidable Castle of the Counts, the 15th-century Great Butchers’ Hall, the UNESCO-listed belfry lording over it all.

From Washington Post • Sep. 23, 2022

The church’s belfry housed New York’s Liberty Bell, which tolled to mark the country’s birth in 1776 and has rung in remembrance of the 9/11 terror attacks.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 14, 2022

It was three o’clock; the church bell tolled as I passed under the belfry: the charm of the hour lay in its approaching dimness, in the low-gliding and pale-beaming sun.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë