- belfry
- late 13c., "siege tower," from O.N.Fr. berfroi "movable siege tower" (Mod.Fr. beffroi), from M.H.G. bercfrit "protecting shelter," lit. "that which watches over peace," from bergen "to protect" + frid "peace." Originally a wooden siege tower on wheels ("free" to move); it came to be used for chime towers (mid-15c.), which at first often were detached from church buildings (as the Campanile on Plaza San Marco in Venice). Spelling altered by association with bell.