bell¹ /bel/

1. An instrument for giving a ringing sound, typically a hollow vessel of metal with flared mouth struck by a tongue or clapper, but taking many other forms
2. Anything bell-shaped, as in diving bell, bell-glass, the open end of some wind instruments, etc
3. A flower corolla shaped like a bell
4. The body of a Corinthian or Composite capital, without the surrounding foliage (architecture)
5. The sound of a bell
6. A signal or intimation by bell
7. A stroke or double stroke of a bell to indicate the number of half-hours of the watch that have elapsed, two bells, three bells, etc, meaning that two, three, etc half-hours have passed, the end of the watch of four hours being eight bells (nautical)

To ring

To furnish with a bell, esp in bell the cat (see below)

To (cause to) flare out in the shape of a bell

belled adjective

Shaped like a bell

bell beaker noun

The distinctive wide-necked pottery vessel found (sometimes inverted) in the graves of Beaker Folk

bellˈbind noun (dialect)

Hedge or field bindweed

bellˈbird noun

1. The S American campanero
2. Any of several Australian and NZ birds with a bell-like call, such as either of the two species of honeyeater (Manorina melanophrys and Anthornis melanura) or the thickhead (Oreoica gutturalis)
3. Elsewhere, other birds with bell-like notes

bellˈ-bottomed adjective

(of trousers) widening greatly from knee to ankle

bellˈ-bottoms plural noun

bellˈboy noun

A hotel porter or page

bell buoy noun

A buoy carrying a bell, rung by the movement of the waves

bellˈcote noun (architecture)

An ornamental structure made to contain one or two bells, and often crowned by a small spire

bell crank noun

A lever with two arms, usu at right angles, and a common fulcrum at their junction

bell end noun

1. A rounded end part
2. (vulgar sl) the tip of the penis
3. An idiot or fool
4. Someone despised

bellˈflower noun

A campanula

bellˈ-founder noun

A person who casts bells

bellˈ-foundry noun

bellˈ-glass noun

A bell jar

bellˈhanger noun

A person who hangs and repairs bells

bellˈ-heather noun

A variety of erica with bell-shaped flowers

bellˈhop noun (chiefly N American)

A bellboy

bellˈ-housing noun

A tapered outer casing of part of a vehicle's transmission

bell jar noun

A bell-shaped glass cover, in laboratories placed over apparatus to confine gases, etc, or used to protect ornaments or flower arrangements

bell magpie noun (Aust)

The currawong

bellˈman noun

1. A person who rings a bell, esp on the streets, before making public announcements
2. A town crier

bellˈ-metal noun

The metal of which bells are made, an alloy of copper and tin

bell pull noun

A cord or handle used in ringing a bell

bellˈ-punch noun

A ticket punch containing a bell

bell push noun

A button used in ringing an electric or spring bell

bellˈringer noun

1. A person who rings a bell on stated occasions
2. A performer on church bells or musical hand bells

bellˈringing noun

bellˈ-rope noun

The rope by which a bell is rung

bellˈ-shaped adjective

• self-referential
• self-referentiality
• self-referentially
• self-referring
• self-regard
• self-regarding
• self-registering
• self-regulating
• self-regulation
• self-regulatory
• self-reliance
• self-reliant
• self-reliantly
• self-relying
• self-renunciation
• self-renunciations
• self-repeating
• self-repose
• self-repression
• self-reproach
• self-reproaches
• self-reproachful
• self-reproof
• self-reproofs
• self-reproving