knell

[ nel ]

/ nɛl /

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noun

the sound made by a bell rung slowly, especially for a death or a funeral.

a sound or sign announcing the death of a person or the end, extinction, failure, etc., of something: the knell of parting day.

any mournful sound.

verb (used without object)

to sound, as a bell, especially a funeral bell.

to give forth a mournful, ominous, or warning sound.

verb (used with object)

to proclaim or summon by, or as if by, a bell.

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Origin of knell

before 950; (noun) Middle English knel,Old English cynll; (v.) Middle English knellen, knyllen,Old English cynllan; cognate with Old Norse knylla to beat, strike; akin to Dutch knal bang, knallen to bang, German Knall explosion, knallen to explode

OTHER WORDS FROM knell

un·knelled, adjective

Words nearby knell

knee spavin, knee-sprung, knees-up, knee-trembling, kneidel, knell, Kneller, knelt, Knesset, knew, knicker

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for knell

The government wanted to reduce labor and costs, but many growers view the law as a quality death knell.
Germany’s Wine Revolution Is Just Getting Started|Jordan Salcito|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sounded what many considered to be the death knell for the SNC.
Post Election, Obama Gambles on Syrian Rebels|Mike Giglio|November 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
They wanted to sound the death knell for the campaign, file their stories, and get out of Memphis as soon as possible.
Plight of the Republican Presidential Race’s Zombie Candidates|Matt Bennett|January 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
When you have somebody working for your campaign, like Grooms, who says you can't win, that is the death knell for a candidate.
Why the Rick Perry Ship Went Down|Patricia Murphy|January 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST

I now consider it the death knell for traditional publishing.
The Future of the Book|Sam Harris|September 27, 2011|DAILY BEAST
A knell from the church bell broke harshly on these youthful thoughts.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3)|Charles Dickens
The tones of the neighbouring convent bell, echoing through the stony vaults, sounded loud and awful as the knell of doom.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
It is not so now, for when the blacks revolted and drove their masters from the land, the death-knell of civilisation was sounded.
Gardens of the Caribbees, v. 1/2|Ida May Hill Starr
When for mirth's yell earth's knell seemed pleaseSome dumb new grim great whim in him Made Jews take chalk for cheese.
The Book of Humorous Verse|Various
This date this pupil translates by the phrase, “Dock knell all” .
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)

British Dictionary definitions for knell

knell

/ (nɛl) /

noun

the sound of a bell rung to announce a death or a funeral

something that precipitates or indicates death or destruction

verb

(intr) to ring a knell

(tr) to proclaim or announce by or as if by a tolling bell

Word Origin for knell

Old English cnyll; related to Middle High German knüllen to strike, Dutch knallen to bang

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

Idioms and Phrases with knell

knell

see death knell.

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