spire

/ˈspaɪər/

/spaɪə/

Other forms: spires

A pointed cone shape on top of a building is called a spire, especially when it rises from the roof of a church.

The part of a church roof that rises above a city skyline or a village's rolling hills, pointing sharply up toward the sky, is its spire. Many church spires have a cross at the very top. Other buildings — religious or secular — can also have spires, though it's most common to see one on a Christian church. The root of spire is the Old English spir, "sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass."

Definitions of spire

1. noun

   a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
   synonyms: steeple

   types:

   pinnacle

   (architecture) a slender upright spire at the top of a buttress or a tower

   type of:

   tower

   a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building