bell
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bell (bel)
noun
- a hollow object, usually cuplike, made of metal or other hard material which rings when struck, as by a clapper inside
- such an object rung to mark the hours or the beginning and end of a period of time
- the sound made by a bell
- anything shaped like a bell, as a flower, the flare of a horn, etc.
- a musical instrument made up of a series of tuned metal bars or hollow tubes that are sounded by striking; specif.,
- glockenspiel
- chimes
- Naut.
- a bell rung every half hour during each of the five four-hour watches and during the four-hour period comprising the two dog watches: the series of rings begins at one bell (12:30, 4:30, and 8:30 o'clock) and ends at eight bells (4:00, 8:00, and 12:00 o'clock)
- any of these half-hour periods
Etymology: ME & OE belle < IE base *bhel-, to sound, roar (orig. ? echoic) > bellow, ON belja, to roar
transitive verb
- to attach a bell or bells to
- to shape like a bell
intransitive verb
bell (bel)
intransitive verb
Bell (bel)
- Bell, Alexander Graham 1847-1922; U.S. inventor of the telephone, born in Scotland
- pseudonym for the Brontë sisters
- Bell, Daniel 1919-; U.S. sociologist
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Alternate definitions:
bell
n.
Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Preposition: of
- chromium: It offers a filled up seat, a wheel of functional handling, a bell of chromium and an adjustable windshield.
Converse of object
- ring: Outside gallery opening hours, please ring the bell marked ' Office ' at the front entrance of the House.
Adjective modifier
- tubular: Our percussion, including pedal timpani, tam-tam, tubular bells, xylophone, glockenspiel and vibraphone, are available for use.
Modifies a noun
- ringing: CDs almost sold out The compact disk of Devon bell ringing has almost sold out.
Noun used with modifier
- alarm: All alarm bells should be ringing around the world!
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
The bell-rope that gathers God at dawn Dispatches me as though I dropped down the knell Of a spent day.
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved inmankind; and thereforenever send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Time and the bell have buried the day, The black cloud carries the sun away.
Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Cite this page:
MLA Style
"bell." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/bell>
APA Style
bell. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/bell

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