storey

Definition

A floor or level of a building or ship.

Etymology

From Middle English story, via Medieval Latin historia (“narrative, illustraton, frieze”) from Ancient Greek ἱστορίᾱ (historíā, “learning through research”). The current sense arose from narrative friezes on upper levels of medieval buildings, esp. churches. Doublet of story and history. An alternative etymology derives Middle English story from Old French *estoree (“a thing built, building”), from estoree (“built”), feminine past participle of estorer (“to build”), from Latin instaurare (“to construct, build, erect”), but this seems unlikely since historia already had the meaning "storey of a building" in Anglo-Latin.

Example Sentences

• "For superstitious reasons, many buildings number their 13th storey as 14, bypassing 13 entirely."
• "a multi-storey car park"
• "It was re-built in the year 1659, and conſiſts of two ſtories of aſhler work.—The loweſt, or ground flat, on each ſide of the main gate, is occupied by ſhops, and in the ſecond ſtorey, a range of large windows, with triangular pediments, give light to the Hall."