I. ˈbel noun
Etymology: Middle English belle, from Old English; perhaps akin to Old English bellan to roar — more at bellow
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : a hollow metallic device that gives off a reverberating sound when struck
b. : doorbell
2.
a. : the sounding of a bell as a signal
b. : a stroke of a bell (as on shipboard) to indicate the time ; also : the time so indicated
c. : a half hour period of a watch on shipboard indicated by the strokes of a bell — see ship's bells table below
3. : something having the form of a bell: as
a. : the corolla of a flower
b. : a bell-shaped organ or part (as the umbrella of a jellyfish or the dewlap of a moose)
c. : the part of the capital of a column between the abacus and neck molding
d. : the flared end of a wind instrument
4.
a. : a percussion instrument consisting of metal bars or tubes that when struck give out tones resembling bells — usually used in plural
b. : glockenspiel
II. verb
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. : to provide with a bell
2. : to flare the end of (as a tube) into the shape of a bell
intransitive verb
: to take the form of a bell : flare
•
- bell the cat
III. intransitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English bellan
Date: before 12th century
: to make a resonant bellowing or baying sound
the wild buck bell s from ferny brake — Sir Walter Scott
IV. noun
Date: 1862
: bellow , roar