Bell1
/bel
/A city in southwestern California, southeast of Los Angeles; population 36,657 (est. 2008).
bell2
/bɛl
/noun
1A hollow metal object, typically in the shape of a deep inverted cup widening at the lip, that sounds a clear musical note when struck, especially by means of a clapper inside: the church bells tolled a bell tinkled as he went in the shop [as modifier]: the bell chamber of the church spire...
- He partook of a leisurely breakfast, and set off to the sound of church bells in the clear air.
- The whole is accompanied by a ghostly, premonitory sound of deep tolling bells.
- It wasn't a bright sound like most bells, but more hollow and deep.
Synonyms
chime, gong, alarm;
peal, knell, toll;
signal, warning, alert
archaic tocsin
1.1A device that includes or sounds like a bell, used to give a signal or warning: a bicycle bell...
- The warning bell rang signaling two minutes before their next class.
- The warning bell for dinner rang, signaling for the household to start getting ready for dinner.
- Having just begun a fearsome maths test I still remember the surge of relief when the electric bell sounded its continuous warning.
1.2 (the bell) (In boxing and other sports) a bell rung to mark the start or end of a round: they were dragged off each other at the final bell...
- Two minutes after the bell for round one, Liston was the new undisputed champ.
- Just as the bell ended the fifteenth round, Frazier put his hands up and yelled something at Ali.
- Right before the bell for the first round the anticipation was high.
2A bell-shaped object or part of something.
2.1The end of a trumpet or other brass instrument: the acoustic properties of a trumpet’s bell...
- He made me an unbelievable trumpet with carvings and designs and a big double bell, like a space-age trumpet.
- The bell of the trumpet is decorated with a garland bearing the maker's name and the place where the instrument was made.
- Researchers in Germany have been looking carefully at the after glow of the big bang and have decided that the universe is shaped like a trumpet bell.
2.2 Botany The corolla of a bell-shaped flower: a flower with small pale blue bells...
- Great black bees make their way from the bell of one flower to the petals of the next.
- The citron yellow or red tinged flowers are also worth having, hanging bells on tall stalks that dance in the wind and give way to upright seed heads for autumn interest.
- Salvia confertiflora is a half-hardy salvia with delicate orange bells along its stem.
2.3 Zoology The umbrella of a jellyfish: the tiny jellyfish has a bell measuring five to ten millimetres wide
3 (bells) A musical instrument consisting of a set of metal tubes of different lengths, suspended in a frame and played by being struck with a hammer. Also called tubular bells.Working with sampled bells, gongs and prepared piano, he then uses electronic equipment to process this first layer and continues to build up his compositions....
- He planted the two harps in front of the orchestra, on either side of his rostrum, and banished bells and drums to the unseen backstage.
- The overture is similar to its more illustrious counterpart from Tchiakovsky and it also has bells in its final moments.
4 Nautical (Preceded by a numeral) the time as indicated every half hour of a watch by the striking of the ship’s bell one to eight times: at five bells in the forenoon of June 11...
- The bell tolled the last of eight bells in the afternoon on Dolphin.
- Hornblower left the first watch at four bells, entered the cabin, and sat writing in the log by the light of a single candle and the ceiling lantern.
- Eight bells brought him back from the run before the wind.
verb
1 [with object] Provide with a bell or bells: (as adjective belled) animals in gaudy belled harnesses...
- She readjusted her jingling belled hat.
- He tilted his head, his belled hat jingling faintly, when the king just sputtered, red-faced, instead of answering his question.
- Oh yes, and health inspectors should be belled like lepers.
2 [no object] Make a ringing sound likened to that of a bell: the organ was belling away
2.1 [with object] British informal Telephone (someone): no problem, I’ll bell her tomorrow...
- I'll bell you or you bell me tonight about arrangements for tomorrow.
- She belled me tonight to see if you girls have any advice.
3 [no object] Spread outwards like the lip of a bell: her shirt belled out behind...
- He was wearing a red V-neck shirt with long sleeves that belled out near the hands, white jeans, and black slip-on shoes with thick white socks.
- It had a low cut V-neck, and the sleeves belled out into dramatic triangular petals.
- Her green dress belled out around her with the speed of his dancing, and she felt like magic…
Phrases
bell the cat
bells and whistles
be saved by the bell
(as) clear (or sound) as a bell
give someone a bell
ring a bell
with bells on
Origin
Old English belle, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bel, and perhaps to bell2.
Rhymes
bell3
/bɛl/noun
The characteristic cry of a stag or buck at rutting time.Our guides will have you listen to the bell of the stag at the mating season or observe the animals from watch towers....
- We organise evening visits to the animal reserve on these two special weekends to listen to the stag's bell and the clashing of the antlers as the animals fight.
verb [no object]
(Of a stag or buck) make a cry at rutting time.The wood in the half-light waking at daybreak to the belling of stags that bursts into barks....
- During the rut in October and November you can hear the stags belling or roaring.
- My very earliest memories are of picnics with my mother beneath the great trees in Richmond Park in London, of red deer stags belling in rut, of lightning and thunder.
Origin
Old English bellan 'to bellow', of Germanic origin; related to German bellen 'to bark, bray', and perhaps also to bell1.
Bell4
/bel/Currer, Ellis, and Acton, the pseudonyms used by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë.