wind chimes

American  

[wind] / wɪnd /

plural noun

1. an arrangement of bells, bamboo pipes, or glass or ceramic fragments hung so as to strike each other and tinkle when moved by the wind or, in orchestration, touched by the hand.

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wind chimes British  

/ wɪnd /

plural noun

1. a decorative arrangement of small discs of metal, shell, etc, hung near a window or door, that shake together with a tinkling sound in a draught

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Etymology

Origin of wind chimes

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Step closer and you hear the contraption appearing to breathe, a tinkling sound like wind chimes emanating from the cooling mechanism that keeps its innards colder than outer space.

From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025

On the road rising to the Pyrenees, we stop at a posada, a roadside inn where strings of chorizo and peppers hang like wind chimes above the bar.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

Surrounding houses are similar: Metal and glass crosses decorate gardens and hang from porches next to twinkling wind chimes; you’d be hard-pressed to find a home without an American flag waving out front, too.

From Slate • Aug. 12, 2024

Youn said most people associate Buddhism with quiet temples in the mountains, wind chimes, chanting, quiet meditation and sitting still.

From Seattle Times • May 15, 2024

The leaves above me jangle like wind chimes.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George