doorbell
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of doorbell
Explanation
A doorbell is a signal that a visitor can use to let you know they're at your door. Most doorbells have a small button that rings a bell inside the house when it's pushed. Your doorbell might emit a long chiming ring, even playing part of a song, or it may make a harsh buzzing sound. Doorbells tend to be louder than a simple knock on the door, and often they can be heard throughout a house or apartment. The very first doorbells were developed by the Scottish inventor William Murdock in the early 19th century.
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.
See Examples For:
New York Times reporter Julian E. Barnes was watching “The Sheep Detectives” with his family one recent Friday night when two federal agents rang his doorbell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Many residents who have doorbell cameras have mentioned to authorities and reported to online forums similar door-kicking incidents, Miller said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
With Guthrie missing, the FBI extracted and released doorbell camera images of an armed and masked man outside her home on the morning of her disappearance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Getting in the car with my husband and driving down here, I was talking to them through the doorbell intercom.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
At first he didn’t even seem to notice that the door was open, he was so focused on pounding his hand against the doorbell.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
"Ringing doorbells, knocking on doors, alerting the neighbours, telling them to leave -- that's what the situation was like," he said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
In December, Ring will add Familiar Faces, allowing its doorbells and other cameras to recognize people you know.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025
Whether at home or on the road, Aura and Rusty alert Evans to people behind her and different noises such as doorbells, alarms or family members trying to get her attention.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 4, 2024
The upfront cost of the doorbells currently ranges from £49.99 to £169.99, according to Ring's website.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2024
Nothing radical, no hothead stuff, just ringing a few doorbells for Gene McCarthy, composing a few tedious, uninspired editorials for the campus newspaper.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
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.
