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bell

¹

[ bel ]

/ bɛl /

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See synonyms for bell on Thesaurus.com

noun

a hollow instrument of cast metal, typically cup-shaped with a flaring mouth, suspended from the vertex and rung by the strokes of a clapper, hammer, or the like.

the stroke or sound of such an instrument: We rose at the bell.

anything in the form of a bell.

the large end of a funnel, or the end of a pipe, tube, or any musical wind instrument, when its edge is turned out and enlarged.

Architecture. the underlying part of a foliated capital.

Nautical.

any of the half-hour units of nautical time rung on the bell of a ship.
each individual ring of the bell, counted with others to reckon the time: It is now four bells.
a signal on the telegraph of a large power vessel, made between the navigating officers and the engineer.

Zoology. umbrella (def. 2).

Botany. the bell-shaped corolla of a flower.

Metallurgy. a conical lid that seals the top of a blast furnace and lowers to admit a charge.

verb (used with object)

to cause to swell or expand like a bell (often followed by out): Belling out the tubes will permit a freer passage of air.

to put a bell on: Should we bell the wreath so we'll know when he opens the front door?

British Informal. to telephone: If I have time, I’ll bell you from the office.

verb (used without object)

to take or have the form of a bell.

Botany. to produce bells; be in bell (said of hops when the seed vessels are forming).

VIDEO FOR BELL

Have You Used The Phrase "Get Your Goat" In This Way?

This family recounts how the phrase "get your goat" inspired them to create a new saying. Have you used this phrase before? Has your family ever created your own word?

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QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about bell

bell the cat. cat (def. 19).

ring a bell, to evoke a memory, especially a vague or partial recollection; remind one of something: His name rings a bell but I can't remember him.

ring someone's bell,

to provide what is desired; be satisfactory or successful: This new book just doesn't ring my bell.
Slang. to arouse sexually or bring someone to orgasm.

Also ring the bell .

saved by the bell,

(of a boxer) saved from a knockout by the ringing of a gong signaling the end of a round.
(of any person) spared from anticipated trouble by some extraneous event.

with bells on, Informal. eagerly; ready to enjoy oneself: Just say when, and we'll be there with bells on.

Origin of bell

¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English belle; cognate with Dutch bel; derivative of bell²

OTHER WORDS FROM bell

bell-less, adjective

Words nearby bell

Belitung, belive, Belize, Belizean, Belize City, bell, Bella, Bellabella, Bellacoola, belladonna, belladonna lily

Other definitions for bell (2 of 3)

bell²

[ bel ]

/ bɛl /

verb (used with or without object)

to bellow like a stag in rutting time.

to bay, as a hunting dog.

noun

the cry of a rutting stag or hunting dog.

Origin of bell

²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bellen, Old English bellan “to roar”; cognate with Old High German bellan, German bellen “to bark,” Middle Dutch bellen, belen, Old Norse belja; see bellow, belch

Other definitions for bell (3 of 3)

Bell

[ bel ]

/ bɛl /

noun

Ac·ton

[ak-tuhn], /ˈæk tən/, pen name of Anne Brontë.

Alexander Graham, 1847–1922, U.S. scientist, born in Scotland: inventor of the telephone.

(Arthur) Clive (Howard), 1881–1964, English critic of literature and art.

Cur·rer

[kur-er], /ˈkɜr ər/, pen name of Charlotte Brontë.

Ellis, pen name of Emily Brontë.

James Thomas "Cool Papa", 1903–91, U.S. baseball player, a Negro Leagues outfielder noted for his speed.

John, 1797–1869, U.S. political leader: Speaker of the House 1834–35.

a city in SW California, near Los Angeles.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT BELL

What is a basic definition of bell?

A bell is a hollow instrument, usually resembling a hollow cup with a flaring mouth and made out of metal. Bell is also the sound that this object makes. Bell can also refer to something shaped like a bell. Bell has several other uses as a noun and verb.

Bells are common objects used to make sounds, usually to alert people to something. Bells come in many sizes and can make sounds that range from pleasant to shrill. Bells make noise either by being struck on the outside or by having something on the inside that strikes the inner surfaces.

Real-life examples: Churches often use bells to indicate the current hour or that a religious service has started or ended. Schools use bells to alert students that a class has begun or ended. Jingle bells are often seen and heard during the winter holiday season. The Liberty Bell is a large bell that is considered a national symbol of the United States.

Used in a sentence: The ringing of church bells could be heard all over town.

Bell also refers to the distinctive sound that bells make. The sound is most often described as a “ringing” or “jingling” sound.

Used in a sentence: The soldiers got out of bed at the bell.

A bell’s shape is often used as a point of reference.

Real-life examples: A line on a chart that goes up, levels off, and goes down again in a symmetrical pattern is often described as bell-shaped or as a bell curve. The chrysaora jellyfish is shaped like a bell. A bell pepper is a sweet pepper shaped like a bell. Anything shaped like a bell might be called bell-shaped.

Used in a sentence: The children were amazed by the bell-shaped body of the giant jellyfish.

Where does bell come from?

The first records of bell come from before the year 1000. It comes from the Old English word belle.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to bell?

bell-less (adjective)

What are some synonyms for bell?

What are some words that share a root or word element with bell?

What are some words that often get used in discussing bell?

How is bell used in real life?

Bell is a common word that most often refers to a hollow instrument used to make sound.

MAN THE TOWERS, RING THE BELLS!

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) June 1, 2014

Reminder: students taking the ASVAB test this morning should report straight to the media center at the first bell! Good luck!

— BRHS Counselors (@BRHScounselors) March 11, 2020

Why hasn't Taco Bell made a bell shaped taco, and call it The @TacoBell?

— Evan • Taste of Country Nights (@BigBoyRadio) July 2, 2013

Try using bell!

Is bell used correctly in the following sentence?

The line graph showed a bell shape, with a straight line from left to right.

How to use bell in a sentence

The options with bells and whistles aren’t necessarily what the professionals would recommend, but they can be the easiest to use.
The best knife sharpener to keep your blades safe and effective|Edmund Torr|February 25, 2021|Popular-Science
While they may not have bells and whistles, they can keep your feet warm for short outdoor activities.
Best heated socks: The absolute warmest socks for cold conditions|PopSci Commerce Team|February 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Instead, bus drivers will have to perform “double-runs” for elementary, middle and high schools, which means some kids will arrive at school after the first bell and other kids will get home later than they did pre-pandemic.
Arlington, Alexandria move forward with school reopening plans|Hannah Natanson|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
Last year, Bell and Schwarber each saw his OPS fall off the cliff.
The Nationals, like the rest of us, want to forget about 2020. That might be pretty smart.|Thomas M. Boswell|February 10, 2021|Washington Post

The Drop ENTR doesn’t boast any major bells and whistles, but it’s one of the best tenkeyless mechanical keyboards you can buy for less than $100.
Best mechanical keyboard: Game, code, type, and work smoother and faster|PopSci Commerce Team|February 4, 2021|Popular-Science
The bell tower bellows loudly when a little muscle power is put into it.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Movie buffs have commented endlessly on the bell-tower sequence in Vertigo.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was only one phone left and when it would ring, the bell would echo, oddly, off the walls.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Vertigo there's a strange cut in the first bell-tower sequence.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, as she feared, The Bell Jar appeared to indifferent notices and the launch—which Ted attended—was rather low-key.
Ted Hughes’s Brother on Losing Sylvia Plath|Gerald Hughes|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was rather awed by his imposing appearance, and advanced timidly to the doors, which were of glass, and pulled the bell.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
When the whole hunt is hunting up, each single change is made between the whole hunt, and the next bell above it.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
Keep closely covered with a bell glass and, in a few weeks, more or less, the baby Ferns will start to put in an appearance.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
Mrs. Vivian had hardly spoken when the sharp little vibration of her door-bell was heard in the hall.
Confidence|Henry James
Every bell lies four times together before, and four times behind, except only when the extream changes are made behind.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman

British Dictionary definitions for bell (1 of 3)

bell¹

/ (bɛl) /

noun

a hollow, usually metal, cup-shaped instrument that emits a musical ringing sound when struck, often by a clapper hanging inside it

the sound made by such an instrument or device, as for showing the hours or marking the beginning or end of a period of time

an electrical device that rings or buzzes as a signal

the bowl-shaped termination of the tube of certain musical wind instruments, such as the trumpet or oboe

any musical percussion instrument emitting a ringing tone, such as a glockenspiel, one of a set of hand bells, etcCompare chime 1 (def. 3)

nautical a signal rung on a ship's bell to count the number of half-hour intervals during each of six four-hour watches reckoned from midnight. Thus, one bell may signify 12.30, 4.30, or 8.30 a.m. or p.m

See diving bell

biology a structure resembling a bell in shape, such as the corolla of certain flowers or the body of a jellyfish

British slang a telephone call (esp in the phrase give someone a bell)

beat seven bells out of or knock seven bells out of British informal to give a severe beating to

bell, book, and candle

instruments used formerly in excommunications and other ecclesiastical acts
informal the solemn ritual ratification of such acts

ring a bell to sound familiar; recall to the mind something previously experienced, esp indistinctly

sound as a bell in perfect condition

the bells the ringing of bells, in a church or other public building, at midnight on December 31st, symbolizing the beginning of a new year

verb

to be or cause to be shaped like a bell

(tr) to attach a bell or bells to

bell the cat to undertake a dangerous mission

Word Origin for bell

Old English belle; related to Old Norse bjalla, Middle Low German bell; see bell ²

British Dictionary definitions for bell (2 of 3)

bell²

/ (bɛl) /

noun

a bellowing or baying cry, esp that of a hound or a male deer in rut

verb

to utter (such a cry)

Word Origin for bell

Old English bellan; related to Old Norse belja to bellow, Old High German bellan to roar, Sanskrit bhāsate he talks; see bellow

British Dictionary definitions for bell (3 of 3)

Bell

/ (bɛl) /

noun

Acton, Currer (ˈkʌrə), and Ellis . pen names of the sisters Anne, Charlotte, and Emily BrontëSee Brontë

Alexander Graham . 1847–1922, US scientist, born in Scotland, who invented the telephone (1876)

Sir Francis Henry Dillon . 1851–1936, New Zealand statesman; prime minister of New Zealand (1925)

Gertrude (Margaret Lowthian). 1868–1926, British traveller, writer, and diplomat; secretary to the British High Commissioner in Baghdad (1917–26)

Joshua. born 1967, US violinist

Dame (Susan) Jocelyn, married name Jocelyn Burnell, born 1943, British radio astronomer, who discovered the first pulsar

Vanessa, original name Vanessa Stephen . 1879–1961, British painter; a member of the Bloomsbury group, sister of Virginia Woolf and wife of the art critic Clive Bell (1881–1964)

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

Scientific definitions for bell

Bell

[ bĕl ]

Alexander Graham 1847-1922

Scottish-born American scientist and inventor whose lifelong interest in the education of deaf people led him to conceive the idea of transmitting speech by electric waves. In 1876 his experiments with a telegraph resulted in his invention of the telephone. He later produced the first successful sound recorder, an early hearing aid, and many other devices.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with bell

bell

In addition to the idiom beginning with bell

bell the cat, who will

also see:

clear as a bell
ring a bell
saved by the bell
sound as a bell
with bells on

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.