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Bells

   Also found in: Medical, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
Bell  (bl)
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.
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Alexander Graham Bell

Bell, (Arthur) Clive (Howard) 1881-1964.
British critic who proposed his aesthetic theory of significant form in Art (1914).

Bell, James Thomas Known as "Cool Papa." 1903-1991.
American baseball player who spent his entire career in the Negro Leagues (1922-1950). Considered by many to be the fastest base runner ever, he reportedly stole 175 bases in 200 games in 1933.

bell 1  (bl)
n.
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.]

bell 2  (bl)
n.
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.]

Bells
Rare. concerned with bells or the manufacture of bells.
a tower for peals of bells or a carillon, usually freestanding. Also called campanario.
one who plays a campanile or carillon; a carilloneur.
the science or art of bell ringing. See also change ringing. — campanologist, campanologer, n.campanological, adj.
the art of sounding a ring or set of from 3 to 12 tuned bells according to intricate patterns of sequences.
1. the sound made by ringing bells.
2. a tinkling, bell-like sound. — tintinnabular, adj.


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
At seven bells the first gong rang; at eight there was breakfast, for such as were not too seasick to eat it.
The gait of my friend was unsteady, and the bells upon his cap jingled as he strode.
Then Hans hastened home and brought a fowler's net with little bells and hung it round about her, and she still went on sleeping.
 
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