belfry

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The Word of the Day for April 15 is:

belfry   \BEL-free\   noun 
    *1 : a bell tower; especially : one surmounting or attached to another 
structure
     2 : a room or framework for enclosing a bell 
     3 : head 

Example sentence: 
     "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." (Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre) 

Did you know? 
     Surprisingly, "belfry" does not come from "bell," and early belfries did 
not contain bells at all. "Belfry" comes from "berfrey," a medieval term for a 
wooden tower used in 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. Through association, people began spelling "berfrey" 
as "bellfrey," then as "belfrey" and later "belfry." On a more metaphorical 
note, someone who has "bats in the belfry" is crazy or eccentric. This phrase 
is responsible for the use of "bats" for "crazy" ("Are you completely bats?") 
and the occasional use of "belfry" for "head" ("He's not quite right in the 
belfry").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.





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