bell

noun

/bel/

Idioms

jump to other results

enlarge image

a hollow metal object, often like a cup in shape, that makes a ringing sound when hit by a small piece of metal inside it; the sound that it makes
- A peal of church bells rang out in the distance.
- a bicycle bell
- His voice came down the line as clear as a bell.
- the bell of a trumpet (= the part at the end like a bell in shape)
- The church bells rang out.
- a bell-shaped flower
- Off in the distance a bell tolled two in the morning.
- a bell tower
- wedding bells
- The dancers wore bells on their ankles.
Culture bells and bell-ringingbells and bell-ringingBells hung high in the towers of churches are rung to announce church services. In Britain the sound of church bells from a belfry is associated with Sunday mornings and with weddings. Bells throughout the country may also be rung at times of national celebration. Before minor services or to announce a funeral (= a service for a dead person), a single bell is usually sounded for five or ten minutes. The blessing of the bread and wine at a Communion service may also be indicated by the sounding of a bell.Churches usually have between 5 and 12 bells, which are rung by teams of bell-ringers. The ringers stand far below the bells and each pulls on a long rope attached to a bell in such a way that the bell swings over in a circle, causing the clapper inside the bell to strike the side. In a peal, each of the bells is rung in turn, and the order in which they are rung changes according to a pattern. This is called change-ringing. Complicated tunes can be played and many changes have their own name, for example Grandsire Triples and Oxford Treble Bob.Other types of institution also use bells: Great Tom, the big bell at Christ Church College, Oxford, is rung 101 times each night, indicating the original number of scholars at the college. The most famous bell in Britain is Big Ben, the large bell in the clock tower next to the Houses of Parliament in London, which chimes the hours and is heard on radio and television.Bell-ringing used to be a popular hobby though it is now sometimes necessary to use a recording of bells before church services because there are not enough bell-ringers. America's experience with bells did not begin well, since the nation's Liberty Bell cracked in 1752. Bells are heard in churches and at colleges and universities. Some communities, especially in New England, ring bells as a celebration. Bells are also used to announce the time, mostly using the eight notes of Big Ben.There are very few traditional bell-ringers in the US. Instead, many institutions have carillon bells, (= a group of up to 70 bells controlled from a keyboard like that of an organ) which can play tunes. The 50 bells of the Allen & Perkins Carillon at Duke University in North Carolina were first used to play songs in 1932. Other well-known carillons include the Sather Tower Carillon at the University of California at Berkeley. Many of the bells in the US are imported from Britain.
Extra Examples
- The bells on the harness tinkled softly.
- The church bells tolled for Evensong.
- the faint chime of bells
- Their friends could already hear wedding bells (= were sure they would get married).
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- church
- temple
- wedding
- …
verb + bell
- ring
- hear
bell + verb
- chime
- clang
- jangle
- …
bell + noun
- tower
- pull
- rope
- …
phrases
- a chime of bells
- a peal of bells
- a sound of bells
- …
See full entry
an electrical device which makes a ringing sound when a button on it is pushed; the sound that it makes, used as a signal or a warning
- Ring the bell to see if they're in.
- The bell's ringing!
- The bell went for the end of the lesson.
- An alarm bell went off.
- (figurative) Warning bells started ringing in her head as she sensed that something was wrong.
- (figurative) This decision is going to sound a warning bell to other couples.
- Saved by the bell! (= a bell that signals the end of something) I thought I'd have to sit here listening to you two argue forever.
see also doorbellTopics Educationb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- bicycle
- door
- dinner
- …
verb + bell
- press
- ring
- sound
- …
bell + verb
- go
- ring
- sound
- …
bell + noun
- pull
- push
phrases
- saved by the bell
- bells and whistles
See full entry

Word OriginOld English belle, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bel.

Idioms

alarm bells ring/are ringing

if you say that alarm bells are ringing, you mean that people are starting to feel worried and to suspect that something is wrong
- The government’s proposal has set alarm bells ringing for people on low incomes.

give somebody a bell

(British English, informal) to call somebody by phoneTopics Phones, email and the internetc2

pull the other one (—it’s got bells on)

(British English, informal) used to show that you do not believe what somebody has just said

ring a bell

(informal) to sound familiar to you, as though you have heard it before
- His name rings a bell but I can't think where we met.

(as) sound as a bell

(informal) in perfect condition
- The doctor said I was as sound as a bell.
More Like This Similes in idioms
Similes in idioms
- (as) bald as a coot
- (as) blind as a bat
- (as) bright as a button
- (as) bold as brass
- as busy as a bee
- as clean as a whistle
- (as) dead as a/the dodo
- (as) deaf as a post
- (as) dull as ditchwater
- (as) fit as a fiddle
- as flat as a pancake
- (as) good as gold
- (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare
- (as) miserable/ugly as sin
- as old as the hills
- (as) pleased/proud as Punch
- as pretty as a picture
- (as) regular as clockwork
- (as) quick as a flash
- (as) safe as houses
- (as) sound as a bell
- (as) steady as a rock
- (as) thick as two short planks
- (as) tough as old boots

单词	bell
释义	bell noun /bel/ /bel/ Idioms jump to other results enlarge image a hollow metal object, often like a cup in shape, that makes a ringing sound when hit by a small piece of metal inside it; the sound that it makes A peal of church bells rang out in the distance. a bicycle bell His voice came down the line as clear as a bell. the bell of a trumpet (= the part at the end like a bell in shape) The church bells rang out. a bell-shaped flower Off in the distance a bell tolled two in the morning. a bell tower wedding bells The dancers wore bells on their ankles. Culture bells and bell-ringingbells and bell-ringingBells hung high in the towers of churches are rung to announce church services. In Britain the sound of church bells from a belfry is associated with Sunday mornings and with weddings. Bells throughout the country may also be rung at times of national celebration. Before minor services or to announce a funeral (= a service for a dead person), a single bell is usually sounded for five or ten minutes. The blessing of the bread and wine at a Communion service may also be indicated by the sounding of a bell.Churches usually have between 5 and 12 bells, which are rung by teams of bell-ringers. The ringers stand far below the bells and each pulls on a long rope attached to a bell in such a way that the bell swings over in a circle, causing the clapper inside the bell to strike the side. In a peal, each of the bells is rung in turn, and the order in which they are rung changes according to a pattern. This is called change-ringing. Complicated tunes can be played and many changes have their own name, for example Grandsire Triples and Oxford Treble Bob.Other types of institution also use bells: Great Tom, the big bell at Christ Church College, Oxford, is rung 101 times each night, indicating the original number of scholars at the college. The most famous bell in Britain is Big Ben, the large bell in the clock tower next to the Houses of Parliament in London, which chimes the hours and is heard on radio and television.Bell-ringing used to be a popular hobby though it is now sometimes necessary to use a recording of bells before church services because there are not enough bell-ringers. America's experience with bells did not begin well, since the nation's Liberty Bell cracked in 1752. Bells are heard in churches and at colleges and universities. Some communities, especially in New England, ring bells as a celebration. Bells are also used to announce the time, mostly using the eight notes of Big Ben.There are very few traditional bell-ringers in the US. Instead, many institutions have carillon bells, (= a group of up to 70 bells controlled from a keyboard like that of an organ) which can play tunes. The 50 bells of the Allen & Perkins Carillon at Duke University in North Carolina were first used to play songs in 1932. Other well-known carillons include the Sather Tower Carillon at the University of California at Berkeley. Many of the bells in the US are imported from Britain. Extra Examples The bells on the harness tinkled softly. The church bells tolled for Evensong. the faint chime of bells Their friends could already hear wedding bells (= were sure they would get married). Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective church temple wedding … verb + bell ring hear bell + verb chime clang jangle … bell + noun tower pull rope … phrases a chime of bells a peal of bells a sound of bells … See full entry an electrical device which makes a ringing sound when a button on it is pushed; the sound that it makes, used as a signal or a warning Ring the bell to see if they're in. The bell's ringing! The bell went for the end of the lesson. An alarm bell went off. (figurative) Warning bells started ringing in her head as she sensed that something was wrong. (figurative) This decision is going to sound a warning bell to other couples. Saved by the bell! (= a bell that signals the end of something) I thought I'd have to sit here listening to you two argue forever. see also doorbellTopics Educationb1 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective bicycle door dinner … verb + bell press ring sound … bell + verb go ring sound … bell + noun pull push phrases saved by the bell bells and whistles See full entry Word OriginOld English belle, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bel. Idioms alarm bells ring/are ringing if you say that alarm bells are ringing, you mean that people are starting to feel worried and to suspect that something is wrong The government’s proposal has set alarm bells ringing for people on low incomes. give somebody a bell (British English, informal) to call somebody by phoneTopics Phones, email and the internetc2 pull the other one (—it’s got bells on) (British English, informal) used to show that you do not believe what somebody has just said ring a bell (informal) to sound familiar to you, as though you have heard it before His name rings a bell but I can't think where we met. (as) sound as a bell (informal) in perfect condition The doctor said I was as sound as a bell. More Like This Similes in idiomsSimiles in idioms (as) bald as a coot (as) blind as a bat (as) bright as a button (as) bold as brass as busy as a bee as clean as a whistle (as) dead as a/the dodo (as) deaf as a post (as) dull as ditchwater (as) fit as a fiddle as flat as a pancake (as) good as gold (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare (as) miserable/ugly as sin as old as the hills (as) pleased/proud as Punch as pretty as a picture (as) regular as clockwork (as) quick as a flash (as) safe as houses (as) sound as a bell (as) steady as a rock (as) thick as two short planks (as) tough as old boots
随便看	ology -ology Olympia olympia Olympiad Olympian Olympic olympic olé OM Omaha omaha Oman Omani Omar Bradley ombudsman omega Omega-3 omega-3 omelette omen omena OMG omg omicron