bell

I. 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 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 bells from ferny brake — Sir Walter Scott

> IV. noun Date: 1862 bellow, roar