Big Ben

American  

noun

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

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Big Ben British  

noun

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

2. the clock in this tower

3. the tower

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Big Ben Cultural  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of Big Ben

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

In the late 19th century another Steller, called Big Ben Butler, became a local celebrity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Two weeks before the show, young seamstresses were crocheting floral motifs in mohair and Japanese metallic thread at a south London studio overlooking the Thames river and Big Ben.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Heard Island, though, is barren, icy and completely uninhabited - home to Australia's largest and only active volcano, Big Ben, and mostly covered by glaciers.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2025

The barefoot man was brought down in a cherry picker as Big Ben struck midnight, after more than 16 hours on a ledge several metres up the tower.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2025

I see night women in doorways, monks chanting vespers, and here is the great boom of Big Ben, This is the BBC Overseas Service and here is the news.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

Related Words

• timer