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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 铃（声）；钟（声）；钟状物 
A peal of church bells rang out in the distance. 远处响起了一阵教堂的钟声。 a bicycle bell 自行车铃铛 His voice came down the line as clear as a bell. 他的声音如铃声般清脆地从听筒里传出来。 the bell of a trumpet (= the part at the end like a bell in shape) 小号的喇叭口 The church bells rang out. 教堂的钟声响起。 a bell-shaped flower 喇叭形花朵 Off in the distance a bell tolled two in the morning. 远处传来了凌晨两点的钟声。 a bell tower 钟楼 wedding bells （figurative）婚礼的钟声 The dancers wore bells on their ankles. 舞者的脚踝上戴着铃铛。
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 ExamplesThe bells on the harness tinkled softly. 轭具上的铃铛发出柔和的叮当声。 The church bells tolled for Evensong. 教堂响起做晚祷的缓慢低沉的钟声。 the faint chime of bells 邈远的钟声 Their friends could already hear wedding bells (= were sure they would get married). 朋友们已经能够听到他们婚礼的钟声了。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- church
- temple
- wedding
- …
- ring
- hear
- chime
- clang
- jangle
- …
- tower
- pull
- rope
- …
- a chime of bells
- a peal of bells
- a sound of bells
- …
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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 电铃（声） Ring the bell to see if they're in. 按按门铃，看他们在不在家。 The bell's ringing! 打铃了！ The bell went for the end of the lesson. 下课的铃声响了。 An alarm bell went off. 警钟响了。 - (figurative)
Warning bells started ringing in her head as she sensed that something was wrong. 当她意识到有差错时，头脑中便敲了警钟。 - (figurative)
This decision is going to sound a warning bell to other couples. 这个决定将给其他夫妇敲响警钟。 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. 谢天谢地！我原以为我得坐在这里听你俩没完没了地吵下去。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bicycle
- door
- dinner
- …
- press
- ring
- sound
- …
- go
- ring
- sound
- …
- pull
- push
- saved by the bell
- bells and whistles
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 警钟敲响；发出危险信号 The government’s proposal has set alarm bells ringing for people on low incomes. 政府的提议为低收入人群敲响了警钟。
give somebody a bell
- (British English, informal)
to call somebody by phone 打电话给某人
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 （表示不相信对方的话）别打哈哈了
ring a bell
(as) sound as a bell
- (informal)
in perfect condition 状况极佳；十分健康 The doctor said I was as sound as a bell. 医生说我身体很好。
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- (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
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- (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