bell

¹bell

noun \ˈbel\

Definition of BELL

1

a : a hollow metallic device that gives off a reverberating sound when struck

b : doorbell

2

a : the sounding of a bell as a signal

b : a stroke of a bell (as on shipboard) to indicate the time; also : the time so indicated

c : a half hour period of a watch on shipboard indicated by the strokes of a bell — see ship's bells table below

3

: something having the form of a bell: as

a : the corolla of a flower

b : a bell-shaped organ or part (as the umbrella of a jellyfish or the dewlap of a moose)

c : the part of the capital of a column between the abacus and neck molding

d : the flared end of a wind instrument

4

a : a percussion instrument consisting of metal bars or tubes that when struck give out tones resembling bells —usually used in plural

b : glockenspiel

bell table

Origin of BELL

Middle English belle, from Old English; perhaps akin to Old English bellan to roar — more at bellow

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with BELL

bel, belle, cel, cell, dell, dwell, el, ell, fell, gel, Hel, hell, jell, knell, l, mell, quell, sell, shell, smell, snell, spell, swell, tell, well, yell

²bell

verb

Definition of BELL

transitive verb

1

: to provide with a bell

2

: to flare the end of (as a tube) into the shape of a bell

intransitive verb

: to take the form of a bell : flare

— bell the cat

: to do a daring or risky deed

First Known Use of BELL

14th century

³bell

intransitive verb

Definition of BELL

: to make a resonant bellowing or baying sound <the wild buck bells from ferny brake — Sir Walter Scott>

Origin of BELL

Middle English, from Old English bellan

First Known Use: before 12th century

⁴bell

noun

Definition of BELL

: bellow, roar

First Known Use of BELL

1510

Bell

biographical name \ˈbel\

Definition of BELL

Alexander Graham 1847–1922 Am. (Scot.-born) inventor

Bell

geographical name \ˈbel\

Definition of BELL

city SW California SE of Los Angeles pop 36,664

bell

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Hollow vessel, usually of metal, that produces a ringing sound when struck by an interior clapper or a mallet. In the West, open bells have acquired a standard “tulip” shape. Though the vibrational patterns of such open bells are basically nonharmonic, they can be tuned so that the lower overtones produce a recognizable chord. Forged bells have existed for many thousands of years. Bells were first cast, or founded, in the Bronze Age; the Chinese were the first master founders. Bells have carried a wide range of cultural meanings. They are particularly important in religious ritual in East and South Asia. In Christianity, especially Russian Orthodoxy, bells have also been used ritually. They have tolled the hours from monastery and church steeples, originally to govern monastic routine and later also to fill a similar role for the secular world.