Definition

Noun: 1. A bell rung to announce a death: A bell, often a church bell, tolled slowly and solemnly to signal that someone has died or to mark a funeral.

Usage

The term "death bell" is used to describe the specific sound or act of ringing a bell for a death. It is a formal and somewhat archaic term, often associated with historical or solemn contexts. - It functions as a countable noun. - It is typically used with articles like the, a, or an.

Examples

• The slow, mournful tolling of the death bell echoed across the silent village.
• In many old traditions, the sexton would ring a death bell to inform the community of a passing.
• We could hear the death bell from the church, a somber sound that filled us with grief.

Advanced Usage

• "To toll like a death bell": This phrase is used metaphorically to describe a sound or event that seems to signal an end or a disaster.
  • The final alarm tolled like a death bell for the failing company.

Variants and Related Words

• Death knell (noun): This is a more common synonym. While it can literally mean a bell rung for a death, it is more frequently used metaphorically to mean an event that signals the end of something.
  • Literal: The death knell sounded at noon.
  • Metaphorical: The new law was the death knell for small businesses.

Synonyms

• Funeral bell: A bell tolled during a funeral procession or service.
• Passing bell: An older, synonymous term for a bell rung to announce a death.

Related Idioms

• "To sound/toll the death knell": To cause or signal the end of something.
  • The invention of the smartphone sounded the death knell for many traditional cameras.

Noun

1. a bell rung to announce a death