bell
• noun 1 a deep inverted metal cup that sounds a clear musical note when struck. 2 a device that buzzes or rings to give a signal. 3 (bells) a musical instrument consisting of a set of metal tubes, played by being struck. 4 Nautical the time as indicated every half-hour of a watch by the striking of the ship’s bell one to eight times: at five bells in the forenoon of June 11. 5 a bell-shaped object or part. • verb 1 summon or indicate with a bell. 2 flare outwards in the shape of a bell. — PHRASES bell the cat take the danger of a shared enterprise upon oneself. an allusion to a fable in which the mice suggest hanging a bell around the cat’s neck to have warning of its approach. bells and whistles attractive additional features or trimmings. give someone a bell Brit. informal telephone someone. ring a bell informal sound vaguely familiar. — ORIGIN Old English.
Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary
About this dictionary
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English contains 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions.
Find out more about Oxford's range of English dictionaries
Sign up for the AskOxford Word of the Day
Search the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Search the Concise Dictionary of First Names
| 
