Bal"co*ny (băl"k&osl;*n&ybreve;; 277), n.; pl. Balconies (-n&ibreve;z). [It. balcone; cf. It. balco, palco, scaffold, fr. OHG. balcho, palcho, beam, G. balken. See Balk beam.] 1. (Arch.) A platform projecting from the wall of a building, usually resting on brackets or consoles, and inclosed by a parapet; as, a balcony in front of a window. Also, a projecting gallery in places of amusement; as, the balcony in a theater.

2. A projecting gallery once common at the stern of large ships.

&fist; "The accent has shifted from the second to the first syllable within these twenty years." Smart (1836).

• An accessible structure extending from a building, especially outside a window.
  
• An accessible structure overlooking a stage.