bell

BEL/bɛl/

18 meanings of bell

1
nouncountable
A metal object, often shaped like an upside-down cup, that rings when hit or pressed, often to give a signal.
Like an upside-down metal cup that rings when you tap it.
The big bell at the top of the tower rings every hour.
He tapped the small bell with a tiny hammer to test its sound.
UsageYou ring a bell. That rings a bell means it sounds familiar.
Note
2
nouncountable
The ringing of a bell to tell people it is time for something, like the start of a class.
Like a whistle that tells everyone to start or stop.
At the first bell, the workers stopped for lunch.
A loud bell told everyone that the match was over.
UsageSay at the bell or after the bell.
Note
3
cup-shaped partnouncountable
Anything with a rounded, open shape like a hollow cup, such as the wide top of some flowers.
Like the round, open shape of a cup turned upside down.
The flower's bell filled with rain after the storm.
Bees crawled deep into the bell of each bloom.
Note

Less common meanings

4
horn openingnouncountable
The wide, open end of a horn or other wind instrument, where the sound comes out.
Like the wide opening of a megaphone where the sound spreads out.
He pointed the bell of his trumpet toward the microphone.
Water can collect inside the bell of a tuba.
Note
5
phone callnouncolloquialBritishcountable
A phone call to someone.
Give me a bell when you get home safe.
I'll give you a bell later tonight about the weekend.
UsageSay give me a bell to mean 'phone me'.
Similarcall, ring, buzz
6
put on animalverbtransitive
To put a bell on something, such as an animal.
Farmers bell their goats so they can find them on the hillside.
They belled the cat to warn the birds in the garden.
UsageUsed in the saying who will bell the cat?, meaning who will do a risky job that helps everyone.
Note
7
phone someoneverbslangtransitive
To phone someone.
Bell me when you're done with work.
I'll bell you tomorrow about the plan.
UsageSay bell me. In formal situations, use call or phone.
Similarcall, ring, phone
Note
8
idiotnounslangvulgarBritishabbreviationclipping
Short for bell-end: a rude word for a stupid or annoying person.
Stop acting like such a bell and just apologize to her.
Some bell cut me off and nearly caused a crash.
UsageNot the same as give me a bell, which means 'phone me'.
Note
9
ship's timenouncountable
On a ship, one of the rings of a bell used to mark each half hour of a work shift.
Like ringing a bell a set number of times to show what time it is.
At one bell, the lookout checked the deck and reported all clear.
By eight bells, the long watch had finally ended.
Note
10
pipe endnouncountable
The wide, flared end of a pipe, made to fit over the narrow end of another pipe.
Like the wide open end of a cup that a smaller cup slides into.
Push the narrow pipe into the bell until it seats tightly.
Water leaked from the joint where the bell of the pipe had cracked.
Similarsocket
11
widen at endverbtransitive
To shape something so that it widens out at one end like a bell.
The plumber used a tool to bell the end of the pipe so the next one would fit.
The designer belled the skirt so it swung when she walked.
Similarflare
12
computer beepnouncountable
A computer character that makes the device beep or sound an alert.
Like a short beep a computer makes to get your attention.
The program sends a bell to warn you when it finishes.
The program sends a bell to make the computer beep.
Similaralert, beep
Note
13
an animal's crynouncountable
The loud, deep cry of an animal such as a hunting hound or a male deer in mating season.
Like the deep, ringing call of a big dog heard far away.
In the fall, you can hear the bell of the stags in the forest.
At night we could hear the deep bell of the stag on the hill.
Similarbay, bellow, roar
Note
14
verbintransitive
To make a deep, loud cry like a deer or dog, or to shout something loudly.
Like a cow mooing, but much deeper and louder.
Wild stags bell during the autumn mating season.
The old hound belled as it caught the scent.
Similarbellow, bay, roar
Note
15
column partnouncountable
The part at the top of a column just under its flat top piece, or the round center inside its carved leaves.
Carvers cut leaf shapes around the bell of the stone column.
The bell of the old column had cracked over the centuries.
Note
16
nounarchaicScotland
A small ball of air in water or another liquid.
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.
1828, James Hogg, Mary BurnetHere, bell means a bubble of air rising up through the water.
Note
17
verbrare
To make a bell ring.
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.
1955, “Train Describers at Euston”, in Railway Magazine
18
verbrare
To grow into a bell shape, the way some flowers open out as they bloom.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–12, 15–16

From Old English "belle," meaning bell.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Bell derives from Old English belle. en.wiktionary.org
Old English belle means bell. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 13–14

From Old English "bellan," meaning to bellow or roar.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Bell, meaning to bellow or roar, derives from Old English bellan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English bellan means to bellow or roar. en.wiktionary.org