Big Ben

noun

1. the bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London, England.

Big Ben

noun

1. the bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, London

2. the clock in this tower

3. the tower

Big Ben

1. The popular name for the huge clock mounted in a tower near the meeting place of the British Parliament in London. Big Ben strikes the quarter-hour with the familiar Westminster chimes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Big Ben¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Word History and Origins

Origin of Big Ben¹

C19: named after Sir Benjamin Hall, Chief Commissioner of Works in 1856 when it was cast

Example Sentences

The five-year, £80m restoration of the Big Ben tower in London has been nominated for the UK's leading architecture award, alongside a new fashion college campus, a science laboratory and an "inventive" home extension.

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The protest, organised by Defend Our Juries, saw hundreds of people simultaneously pull out placards with the message "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action" when Big Ben chimed at 13:00 BST on Saturday.

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“So, this is for Big Ben’s first — this is Big Ben’s first action figure. Not a doll.”

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Earlier, the procession began its journey outside Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament as the clock tower's famous bells rang out.

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The light which sits above the Big Ben bell at the top of the Elizabeth Tower, was switched off at the outbreak of war in 1939 to comply with blackout regulations.

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Related Words

• timer