ting-a-ling

American

[ting-uh-ling] / ˈtɪŋ əˌlɪŋ /

noun

a repeated tinkling sound, as of a telephone bell.

ting-a-ling British

/ ˈtɪŋəˈlɪŋ /

noun

the sound of a small bell

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ting-a-ling

First recorded in 1860–65; imitative rhyming compound

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

ting-a-ling

Just here the front door-bell gave a malicious ting-a-ling.

From Divers Women by Pansy

The front-door bell was constantly going ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling!

From Small Souls by Louis Couperus

I never hear a little bell ting-a-ling to-day but what it brings those days back to me, with her so busy at our funny housekeeping.

From Wild Justice: Stories of the South Seas by Lloyd Osbourne

The girl courtesied, and the tallow chandler closed the door with a ting-a-ling.

From True to His Home A Tale of the Boyhood of Franklin by H. Winthrop Pierce

Cho.—Ting-a-ling-ling ting-a-ling, Ting-a-ling-ling ting-a-ling, Ting-a-ling-ling ting-a-ling, Ting-a-ling-ling ting-a-ling.

From Christmas Entertainments by Alice Maude Kellogg

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023