1. the upper part of a church nave, containing windows that rise above the roofs of the side aisles
Usage: architecture
2. any similar windowed wall or structure that rises above adjacent rooflines
Usage: architecture

Examples

• The cathedral’s clerestory windows filled the nave with natural light.
• Gothic architects used the clerestory to create soaring, luminous interiors.
• The clerestory rose majestically above the side chapels.
• Modern buildings sometimes feature a clerestory for additional lighting.
• The ancient church’s clerestory had been damaged by centuries of weather.
• Stained glass in the clerestory cast colorful patterns on the floor below.