Bell

Bell (b

A city of southern California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Population: 37,300.

Bell, Alexander Graham 1847-1922.

Scottish-born American inventor of the telephone. The first demonstration of electrical transmission of speech by his apparatus took place in 1876. Bell also invented the audiometer, an early hearing aid, and improved the phonograph.

Alexander Graham Bell

Bell, (Arthur) Clive (Howard) 1881-1964.

British critic who proposed his aesthetic theory of significant form in Art (1914).

bell¹ (b

1. A hollow metal musical instrument, usually cup-shaped with a flared opening, that emits a metallic tone when struck.

2. Something resembling such an instrument in shape or sound, as:

a. The round, flared opening of a wind instrument at the opposite end from the mouthpiece.

b. bells A percussion instrument consisting of metal tubes or bars that emit tones when struck.

c. A hollow, usually inverted vessel, such as one used for diving deep below the surface of a body of water.

d. The corolla of a flower: "In a cowslip's bell I lie" Shakespeare.

3. Nautical

a. A stroke on a hollow metal instrument to mark the hour.

b. The time indicated by the striking of this instrument, divided into half hours.

v. belled, bell·ing, bells

v.tr.

1. To put a bell on.

2. To cause to flare like a bell.

v.intr.

To assume the form of a bell; flare.

Idiom:

bell the cat

To perform a daring act.

[Middle English belle, from Old English.]

bell² (b

The bellowing or baying cry of certain animals, such as a deer in rut or a beagle on the hunt.

intr.v. belled, bell·ing, bells

To utter long, deep, resonant sounds; bellow.

[From Middle English bellen, to bellow, from Old English bellan.]

bell

Noun

1. a hollow, usually metal, cup-shaped instrument that emits a ringing sound when struck

2. the sound made by such an instrument

3. an electrical device that rings or buzzes as a signal

4. something shaped like a bell

5. Brit slang a telephone call

6. ring a bell to sound familiar; recall something previously experienced [Old English belle]

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	bell - a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck acoustic device - a device for amplifying or transmitting sound church bell - a bell in a church tower (usually sounded to summon people to church); "church bells were ringing all over town" clapper, tongue - metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side cowbell - a bell hung around the neck of cow so that the cow can be easily located death bell, death knell - a bell rung to announce a death dinner bell - a bell rung to announce that dinner has been served electric bell - a bell activated by the magnetic effect of an electric current fire bell - a bell rung to give a fire alarm school bell - a bell rung to announce beginning or ending of class sheep bell - a bell hung round the neck of a sheep so that the sheep can be easily located shop bell - a bell attached to the door of a small shop; warns the proprietor that a customer has entered the shop signaling device - a device used to send signals cascabel, sleigh bell - a bell attached to a sleigh, or to the harness of a horse that is pulling a sleigh sound bow - contact (the part of a bell) against which the clapper strikes warning bell, tocsin - a bell used to sound an alarm
	2.	bell - a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or buzzing signal when pushed buzzer, doorbell night bell - a doorbell to be used at night push button, button, push - an electrical switch operated by pressing; "the elevator was operated by push buttons"; "the push beside the bed operated a buzzer at the desk"
	3.	bell - the sound of a bell being struck; "saved by the bell"; "she heard the distant toll of church bells" toll sound - the sudden occurrence of an audible event; "the sound awakened them" knell - the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something angelus, angelus bell - the sound of a bell rung in Roman Catholic churches to announce the time when the Angelus should be recited
	4.	bell - (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. ship's bell sailing, seafaring, navigation - the work of a sailor time unit, unit of time - a unit for measuring time periods
	5.	bell - the shape of a bell bell shape, campana curve, curved shape - the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
	6.	Bell - a phonetician and father of Alexander Graham Bell (1819-1905) Alexander Melville Bell, Melville Bell
	7.	Bell - English painter; sister of Virginia Woolf; prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group (1879-1961) Vanessa Bell, Vanessa Stephen Bloomsbury Group - an inner circle of writers and artists and philosophers who lived in or around Bloomsbury early in the 20th century and were noted for their unconventional lifestyles
	8.	Bell - United States inventor (born in Scotland) of the telephone (1847-1922) Alexander Bell, Alexander Graham Bell
	9.	bell - a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument chime, gong carillon - set of bells hung in a bell tower handbell - a bell that is held in the hand percussion instrument, percussive instrument - a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by one object striking another
	10.	bell - the flared opening of a tubular device blunderbuss - a short musket of wide bore with a flared muzzle funnel - a conically shaped utensil having a narrow tube at the small end; used to channel the flow of substances into a container with a small mouth opening - a vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made; "they left a small opening for the cat at the bottom of the door" wind instrument, wind - a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by an enclosed column of air that is moved by the breath
Verb	1.	bell - attach a bell to; "bell cows" attach - cause to be attached