belfry

noun

bel·​fry ˈbel-frē 

plural belfries

1

: a bell tower

especially : one surmounting or attached to another structure

2

: a room or framework for enclosing a bell

3

: head sense 2a

batty in the belfry

Illustration of belfry

• belfry 1

Did you know?

Surprisingly, belfry does not come from bell, and early belfries did not contain bells at all. Belfry comes from the Middle English berfrey, a term for a wooden tower used in medieval sieges. The structure could be rolled up to a fortification wall so that warriors hidden inside could storm the battlements. Over time, the term was applied to other types of shelters and towers, many of which had bells in them. This association of berfrey with bell towers, seems to have influenced the dissimilation of the first r in berfrey to an l, and people began representing this pronunciation in writing with variants such as bellfray, belfrey, and belfry (the last of which has become the standard spelling). On a metaphorical note, someone who has "bats in the belfry" is insane or eccentric. This phrase is responsible for the use of bats for "insane" (as in "Are you completely bats?") and the occasional use of belfry for "head" ("He's not quite right in the belfry").

Examples of belfry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to the church's northern belfry. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024

The discovery of her body in a church belfry by janitor Frank Dixon led to the arrest and indictment of his 16-year-old son Lonnie Dixon, who was Black, on charges of rape and murder. —arkansasonline.com, 5 Oct. 2024

On the night of April 18, 1775, church sexton Robert Newman climbed into the belfry. —Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to the church's northern belfry. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English belfrey, berfrey, bell tower, siege tower, from Anglo-French *berfrei, *belfrei, of Germanic origin (akin to Middle High German bërvrit siege tower); akin to Old High German bergan to shelter and to Old English frith peace, refuge — more at bury

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing belfry

• bats in the belfry

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Kids Definition

belfry

noun

bel·​fry ˈbel-frē 

plural belfries

: a tower or a room in a tower for a bell or set of bells

Etymology

Middle English belfrey, berfrey "bell tower, war tower," from early French berfroi "war tower," of Germanic origin

Word Origin

In our day belfry means "bell tower"; the first syllable is a perfect match with bell, whatever -fry might mean. But in fact belfry does not derive from bell, and the original meaning of its medieval French source, berfroi, was not "bell tower," but rather "siege tower." A siege tower was a wheeled wooden structure that was pushed up to the walls of a besieged fortress to provide shelter and a base of attack for the besiegers. A variant of French berfroi that was also borrowed into English was belfroi. The resemblance of this word to Middle English belle, "bell," most likely set in motion a shift in meaning that gave belfry its current meaning.