balcony
- 01 A2 Elementary
a small platform on the outside of a house or apartment where you can sit or stand.
an accessible platform extending from an external wall of a building, typically enclosed by a railing.
Simple“We sat on the balcony and watched the people walking in the street below.”
In context“The apartment features a small north-facing balcony, providing just enough space for a bistro table and a few potted plants.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'on'.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
an upper floor in a theatre or cinema with rows of seats.
an elevated gallery in a theatre, auditorium, or church, providing additional seating overlooking the main floor.
Simple“Our seats were in the front row of the balcony, so we had a great view of the stage.”
In context“From our vantage point in the balcony, we could observe the intricate choreography of the entire ensemble without any visual obstructions.”
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *balkô Frankish *balkōbor. Medieval Latin balcōbor. Italian balconebor. English balcony From Italian balcone (“balcony, floor-length window”), from Old Italian balcone (“scaffold”) from Lombardic balk, balko (“beam”), from Proto-Germanic balkô (“beam”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵ- (“beam, pile, prop”). Akin to Old High German balco, balcho (“beam”), Old English balca (“beam, ridge”). More at balk.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.