bell
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
behlIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbɛl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
music
A hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
music
A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck.
An instrument that emits a ringing sound, situated on a bicycle's handlebar and used by the cyclist to warn of their presence.
The sounding of a bell as a signal.
Anything shaped like a bell, such as the cup or corolla of a flower.
A signal at a school that tells the students when a class is starting or ending.
verb
transitive
To attach a bell to.
transitive
To shape so that it flares out like a bell.
intransitive
To develop bells or corollas; to take the form of a bell; to blossom.
To ring a bell.
intransitive
To bellow or roar.
transitive
To utter in a loud manner; to thunder forth.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
Used this way, bell is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a musical use: it is everyday language among musicians and listeners, and specialised outside that.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Music/performance
- Arts writing
Nearby words
- bell shape , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use bell
- “The school bell rang, signaling the end of classes.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A noisy mock serenade (made by banging pans and kettles) to a newly married couple.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
The region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A bell-shaped tent.
Take a risk.
Western North American frog with a taillike copulatory organ.
A tower that supports or shelters a bell.
Aromatic annual with a tall stems of small whitish flowers enclosed in a greatly enlarged saucer-shaped or bell-shaped calyx.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Perennial Eurasian herb with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries.
Any of various plants of the genus Campanula having blue or white bell-shaped flowers.
Perennial Eurasian herb with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “bell” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.