bells
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of bells
1965–70; by shortening of the full phrase, as in shorts from short pants
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.
I left my Switch on idle, went back to work, and returned later to collect two million bells’ worth of tips for my generosity.
From The Verge • Dec. 15, 2020
Brett D’Oliveira was playing; ‘Hells bells’, I thought, ‘I saw both your father and your grandfather play for Worcester’.
From The Guardian • Jan. 5, 2016
Brett D’Oliveira was playing; ‘Hells bells’, I thought, ‘I saw both your father and your grandfather play for Worcester’.
From The Guardian • Jan. 5, 2016
Not the shy ice cream bells’ giggle of Rachel and Lucy’s family, but all of a sudden and surprised like a pile of dishes breaking.
From "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros
What could be the cause of the bells’ ringing?
From The Corner House Girls on Palm Island by Gooch, Thelma
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
