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
3
: something having the form of a bell: such as
a
: the corolla of a flower
b
: a bell-shaped organ or part (such as the dewlap of a moose)
especially
: the bell- or saucer-shaped, largely gelatinous structure that forms the main part of the body of most jellyfish : umbrella entry 1 sense 3
c
: the part of the capital of a column between the abacus and neck molding
d
: the flared end of a wind instrument
e
: the open mouth of a nozzle (such as of the exhaust of a jet engine)
The heating was so intense … that the gas went rushing out the tail of the engine at 30,000 feet per second, or twice the speed at which exhaust leaves the bell of a conventional engine.—
Jeffrey Kluger
Jeffrey Kluger4
a
: a percussion instrument consisting of metal bars or tubes that when struck give out tones resembling bells
—usually used in plural
b
belled; belling; bells
1
: to provide with a bell
2
: to flare the end of (something, such as a tube) into the shape of a bell
: to take the form of a bell : flare
belled; belling; bells
: to make a resonant bellowing or baying sound
the wild buck bells from ferny brake—Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott
Phrases
get/have one's bell rung
US and Canada, sports, informal
: to be hit on the head : to suffer a concussion
He had his bell rung on a blitz, and a short time later he was taken to Divine Providence Hospital.—Ralph Wiley
Ralph Wiley
British, informal
: to make a telephone call to
Maybe Cowell can give him a bell towards the end of his marathon broadcast—that would certainly wake him up.—Mark Jefferies
Mark Jefferies
: to do a daring or risky deed
Examples of bell in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebNick Rockel, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024
Other 'Dateline' cases A secret room and a jarring first date: Gilgo Beach murders suspect set off alarm bells
A New Jersey man was convicted of killing his ex-wife’s new partner.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2024
Alarm bells Two former Medtronic sales executives in California argue in a whistleblower lawsuit that the 510(k) process can be abused.
—Fred Schulte, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2023
That number represents a six-point drop from the most recent survey in 2017, amplifying alarm bells that the arts community is struggling to regain its pre-shutdown audience.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2023
His speech was sincere, and even courageous in the current Republican context, but failed to quite bell the cat.
—The Editors, National Review, 8 Sep. 2023
Read more: Why advocates are ringing alarm bells about Utah’s child care industry
Moran understands the extra money will help increase teachers’ pay but said continued increases could make the cost unsustainable.
2.
—Megan Banta, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Aug. 2023
When the alarm bells stop ringing, funding historically dries up.
—Amy Lauren Fairchild, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2020
But no alarm bells ring when the government fails to rebuild decaying infrastructure, properly fund preschools, or provide access to health care.
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
On that Tuesday, April 23, Tesla will report its full first-quarter earnings after the bell.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Shares of Norfolk Southern Corp., based in Atlanta, fell about 1% before the opening bell Tuesday.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Two years later, his Thanks for Listening rose into the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and rang the bell at No. 1 on the Billboard Rap & Independent chart.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
In what proved to be a frightfully punishing encounter, Ali retained the heavyweight crown when Frazier’s trainer would not allow his fighter to answer the bell for the 15th round.
—Reuters, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Many schools ring their final bell during that block of time.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
The denial instantly raised alarm bells among press and open government advocates in Kansas.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Feathery clouds drifted over wooden chalets, and cows with bells around their necks grazed in the fields.
—Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Verb
Meanwhile, alarm bells around privacy and data security risks keep ringing, with some firms banning generative AI altogether.
—Nick Rockel, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024
Other 'Dateline' cases A secret room and a jarring first date: Gilgo Beach murders suspect set off alarm bells
A New Jersey man was convicted of killing his ex-wife’s new partner.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2024
Alarm bells Two former Medtronic sales executives in California argue in a whistleblower lawsuit that the 510(k) process can be abused.
—Fred Schulte, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2023
That number represents a six-point drop from the most recent survey in 2017, amplifying alarm bells that the arts community is struggling to regain its pre-shutdown audience.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2023
His speech was sincere, and even courageous in the current Republican context, but failed to quite bell the cat.
—The Editors, National Review, 8 Sep. 2023
Read more: Why advocates are ringing alarm bells about Utah’s child care industry
Moran understands the extra money will help increase teachers’ pay but said continued increases could make the cost unsustainable.
2.
—Megan Banta, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Aug. 2023
When the alarm bells stop ringing, funding historically dries up.
—Amy Lauren Fairchild, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2020
But no alarm bells ring when the government fails to rebuild decaying infrastructure, properly fund preschools, or provide access to health care.
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019
Noun
Cannons and the bells made a cacophony of celebration as pro-Union Los Angeles threw off its timidity and danced in the streets.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
On that Tuesday, April 23, Tesla will report its full first-quarter earnings after the bell.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Shares of Norfolk Southern Corp., based in Atlanta, fell about 1% before the opening bell Tuesday.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Two years later, his Thanks for Listening rose into the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and rang the bell at No. 1 on the Billboard Rap & Independent chart.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
In what proved to be a frightfully punishing encounter, Ali retained the heavyweight crown when Frazier’s trainer would not allow his fighter to answer the bell for the 15th round.
—Reuters, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Many schools ring their final bell during that block of time.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
The denial instantly raised alarm bells among press and open government advocates in Kansas.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Feathery clouds drifted over wooden chalets, and cows with bells around their necks grazed in the fields.
—Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bell
Cite this Entry
“Bell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bell. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bell
1 of 2 noun1
: a hollow usually cup-shaped metallic device that makes a ringing sound when struck
2
: the stroke or sound of a bell that tells the hour
3
: a half hour period of a watch on shipboard indicated by the strokes of a bell
4
: something (as a flower or the mouth of a trumpet) shaped like a bell
bell
2 of 2 verb1
: to provide with a bell
bell a cat
2
: to take the form of a bell : flare
Geographical Definition
Bell
geographical name
city in southwestern California southeast of Los Angeles population 35,477
Biographical Definition
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