skyscraper

sky +‎ scraper

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈskaɪˌskɹeɪp.ə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈskaɪˌskɹeɪpɚ/

skyscraper (plural skyscrapers)

1. A very tall building with a large number of floors.
   • 1910, William Henry Irwin, The House of Mystery,

     As the curve of Sandy Hook blotted from sight the last, low glimpse of the skyscrapers which point Manhattan, Blake touched Annette's arm.

   • 1912, Elliott O'Donnell, The Sorcery Club,

     The solitary attic—if one could thus designate a space of about three square feet—which comprised Hamar's lodging—had the advantage of being situated in the top storey of a skyscraper—at least a skyscraper for that part of the city.

   • 1917, Herman Gastrell Seely, A Son of the City: A Story of Boy Life,

     Then he noticed, as a prosaic business man will notice suddenly, that a skyscraper which he has passed daily for months is out of line with its neighbor, that the seat behind the new little girl was unoccupied and that she stood alone in the aisle during exercises.

   • 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:

     From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. […]   But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka’s capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India’s southern tip.

2. (nautical, archaic) A small sail atop a mast of a ship; a triangular skysail.
3. (figuratively) Anything very tall or high.
   • 1920, Zane Grey, The Redheaded Outfield and other Baseball Stories,

     It was no surprise to see Hanley bat a skyscraper out to left.

This term has been calqued in many languages.