passing-bell
Definition
- Noun:
- A bell rung to announce a death or funeral: "passing-bell" refers to a bell tolled to signal that someone has died, often as a call to prayer for the deceased or as a mark of respect.
- A symbol of mortality or death: In a figurative sense, "passing-bell" can represent the end of something, such as a period or era.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The solemn passing-bell echoed through the village, announcing the death of the old fisherman. (A bell rung to signal his passing.)
- For many, the closing of the factory was the passing-bell for the town's industrial era. (A symbolic end to that period.)
Advanced Usage
- "to sound the passing-bell for something": to mark the end or demise of something.
- The sudden drop in sales sounded the passing-bell for the company. (The decline signalled the company's failure.)
Variants and Related Words
- Passing (n/adj): the act of dying; going by.
- We mourned his passing. (His death.)
- Bell (n): a hollow metal object that makes a ringing sound.
- The church bell rang at noon. (A typical bell.)
Synonyms
- Death knell: a bell rung to announce a death.
- Funeral bell: a bell tolled during a funeral service.
Related Idioms
- Toll the passing-bell: to ring a bell to announce a death.
- The sexton tolled the passing-bell for the deceased. (He rang it to announce the death.)