bell
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,272 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 14,461 times across 173,643 chapters — 0.007% of every word in the library.
What it means
noun
- a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
- a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or buzzing signal when pushed also: doorbell, buzzer
- the sound of a bell being struck also: toll saved by the bellshe heard the distant toll of church bells
- (nautical) each of the eight half-hour units of nautical time signaled by strokes of a ship's bell; eight bells signals 4:00, 8:00, or 12:00 o'clock, either a.m. or p.m. also: ship's bell
- the shape of a bell also: bell shape, campana
- a phonetician and father of Alexander Graham Bell (1819-1905) also: Melville Bell, Alexander Melville Bell
bell in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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A large bell rang and the carriage-doors were slammed.
Admiral Peters Odd Craft, Part 14. · W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs · Chapter 1
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I rang the bell and Cynthia opened the door to me.
The Little Nugget · P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse · Chapter 1
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But Mme. Favoral had scarcely helped the soup, when the bell rang violently.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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You heard the tinkling bell of some stray sheep, The night grows late, come let us all to sleep.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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But when the old cathedral bell Proclaimed the morning prayer, The white pavilions rose and fell On the alarmed air.
The Complete Poetical Works of Henry · Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Chapter 1