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Bell

//bɛl// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun

1
A surname of Scottish and northern English origin for a bell ringer, bellmaker, or from someone who lived "at the Bell (inn)." countable, uncountable
"“As far as I’m concerned, wives come and go, but Weezers are forever. And if Rivers [Cuomo] doesn’t realize that, then maybe he just doesn’t understand what being a Weezer is all about.” At press time, an increasingly frustrated Bell had reportedly announced plans to split off from the group and pursue projects as a solo Weezer."
2
The Bell telephone company (after Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone.) countable, uncountable
3
A male given name transferred from the surname, of occasional usage. countable, uncountable
4
A female given name, variant of Belle; mostly used as a middle name in the 19th century. countable, uncountable
"Here, Isabel, here is the good gentleman’s handkerchief; keep it for him now, till he comes to see little Bell again."
5
A number of places in the United States:; A city in Los Angeles County, California. countable, uncountable

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6
A number of places in the United States:; A town in Gilchrist County, Florida. countable, uncountable
7
A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Logan County, Illinois. countable, uncountable
8
A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Adair County, Oklahoma. countable, uncountable
9
A number of places in the United States:; A town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
10
A number of places in the United States:; Three townships in Pennsylvania. countable, uncountable
11
A village in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. countable, uncountable
12
A village in the City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. countable, uncountable
13
A rural town in Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. countable, uncountable
14
A municipality of Mayen-Koblenz district, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. countable, uncountable
15
A municipality of Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis district, Rhineland-Palatinate. countable, uncountable

Noun

1
A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck.
"HEAR the sledges with the bells — Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells!"
2
The bellow or bay of certain animals, such as a hound on the hunt or a stag in rut.
3
a telephone utility; a Baby Bell. Canada, US
4
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck wordnet
5
An instrument that emits a ringing sound, situated on a bicycle's handlebar and used by the cyclist to warn of their presence.

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6
the flared opening of a tubular device wordnet
7
The sounding of a bell as a signal.
"Referee Steve Smoger was an almost invisible presence in the ring as both men went at it, although he did have a word with Froch when he landed with a shot after the bell at the end of the eighth."
8
a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument wordnet
9
A telephone call. British, informal
"I’ll give you a bell later."
10
a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or buzzing signal when pushed wordnet
11
A signal at a school that tells the students when a class is starting or ending.
12
the sound of a bell being struck wordnet
13
The flared end of a brass or woodwind instrument.
14
the shape of a bell wordnet
15
Any of a series of strokes on a bell (or similar), struck every half hour to indicate the time (within a four hour watch)
16
(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. wordnet
17
The flared end of a pipe, designed to mate with a narrow spigot.
18
The bell character.
19
Anything shaped like a bell, such as the cup or corolla of a flower.
"In a cowslip's bell I lie."
20
The part of the capital of a column included between the abacus and neck molding; also used for the naked core of nearly cylindrical shape, assumed to exist within the leafage of a capital.
21
The rounded upper part of a jellyfish.
22
A bubble. Scotland, archaic
"He swam to the place where Mary disappeared but there was neither boil nor gurgle on the water, nor even a bell of departing breath, to mark the place where his beloved had sunk."
23
Clipping of bell-end (“stupid or contemptible person”). British, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang, vulgar

Verb

1
To attach a bell to. transitive
"Who will bell the cat?"
2
To bellow or roar. intransitive
"This animal is said to harbour in the place where he resides. When he cries, he is said to bell; the print of his hoof is called the slot; his tail is called the single; his excrement the fumet; his horns are called his head [...]."
3
attach a bell to wordnet
4
To shape so that it flares out like a bell. transitive
"to bell a tube"
5
To utter in a loud manner; to thunder forth. transitive
"Their leaders bell their bleating tunes In doleful sound."

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6
To telephone. slang, transitive
""Vinny, you tosser, it's Keith. I thought you were back today. I'm in town. Bell us on the mobile."
7
To develop bells or corollas; to take the form of a bell; to blossom. intransitive
"Hops bell."
8
To ring a bell.
"So that the Euston signalman may be advised of approaching trains as soon as possible, the Camden signalman sets up and transmits the description of each train immediately after it is belled to him."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English belle, from Old English belle (“bell”), from Proto-Germanic *bellǭ. Cognate with West Frisian belle, bel, Dutch bel, Low German Belle, Bel, Danish bjælde, Swedish bjällra, Norwegian bjelle, Icelandic bjalla.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

From Middle English bellen, from Old English bellan (“to bellow; make a hollow noise; roar; bark; grunt”), from Proto-Germanic *bellaną (“to sound; roar; bark”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to sound; roar; bark”). Cognate with Scots bell (“to shout; speak loudly”), Dutch bellen (“to ring”), German Low German bellen (“to ring”), German bellen (“to bark”), Swedish böla (“to low; bellow; roar”).

Etymology 4

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