cowbell

noun

cow·​bell ˈkau̇-ˌbel How to pronounce cowbell (audio)
: a bell hung around the neck of a cow to make a sound by which the cow can be located

Examples of cowbell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Kravitz sat down with host Jimmy Fallon to tease the album, which apparently involves a lot of cowbell. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024 The Lakers don’t want any piece of this irritating cowbell of a team in the playoffs. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Spectators cheered him on by ringing yellow cowbells. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 Some plical cowbells are thought of simply as Mondaies. Jay Pilgreen, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024 Chaos ensued, leading McEntire to break out her cowbell. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 Chase ended up returning to the show a number of times as host, his latest one being 1997. 07 of 23 Christopher Walken No. of times hosting: 7 First time: Jan. 20, 1990 Joined the Club: May 19, 2001 More cowbell! Ew Staff, EW.com, 19 Nov. 2023 The celebration is characterized by colorful and elaborate costumes, vibrant music (featuring instruments like goatskin drums and cowbells) and spirited dancing. Melissa Noel, Essence, 18 Dec. 2023 The couple realized the militants had entered from the ring of the Austrian cowbell hanging on their front door. Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cowbell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cowbell was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near cowbell

Cite this Entry

“Cowbell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowbell. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cowbell

noun
cow·​bell ˈkau̇-ˌbel How to pronounce cowbell (audio)
: a bell hung about the neck of a cow to indicate its whereabouts
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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