definitions

bells and whistles

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bells and whistles ON THESAURUS.COM

plural noun Informal.

features added to a product; special parts or functions; extras.

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RELATED WORDS

accessories, dressing, trappings, chrome

Nearby words

bellows, bellows fish, bellperson, bellpull, bells, bells and whistles, bells of ireland, bellwether, bellwood, bellwort, belly
Sometimes whistles and bells.

Origin of bells and whistles

First recorded in 1970–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for bells and whistles

bells and whistles

pl n

additional features or accessories which are nonessential but very attractivemy car has all the latest bells and whistles
additions, such as options or warranties, made to a financial product to increase its market appeal

Word Origin for bells and whistles

C20: from the bells and whistles which used to decorate fairground organs
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