Nearby Words
noun
1.
the sound made by a bell rung slowly, especially for a death or a funeral.
2.
a sound or sign announcing the death of a person or the end, extinction, failure, etc., of something: the knell of parting day.
3.
any mournful sound.
verb (used without object)
4.
to sound, as a bell, especially a funeral bell.
5.
to give forth a mournful, ominous, or warning sound.
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Knell
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
| to bark; yelp. |
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
verb (used with object)
6.
to proclaim or summon by, or as if by, a bell.
Origin:
before 950; (noun) Middle English knel, Old English cynll; (v.) Middle English knellen, knyllen, Old English cynllan; cognate with Old Norse knylla to beat, strike; akin to Dutch knal bang, knallen to bang, German Knall explosion, knallen to explode
before 950; (noun) Middle English knel, Old English cynll; (v.) Middle English knellen, knyllen, Old English cynllan; cognate with Old Norse knylla to beat, strike; akin to Dutch knal bang, knallen to bang, German Knall explosion, knallen to explode
Related forms
un·knelled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To knell
Example Sentences
- It wasn't a death knell for the mob or a great precedent for the law books.
- But last week's global crash should not sound the death knell for international diversification.
- The loss of ice would also be a death knell for polar bears, which rely on ice to hunt and raise their young.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
| Main Entry: | knell1 |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a bell struck slowly and solemnly; this ominous sound |
| Etymology: | Old English cnyllan |
| Main Entry: | knell1 |
| Part of Speech: | v |
| Definition: | to summon or announce with a bell; toll |
| Etymology: | Old English cnyllan |
| Usage: | transitive |
| Main Entry: | knell2 |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | an indication of failure |
| Etymology: | Old English cnyllan |
| Main Entry: | knell2 |
| Part of Speech: | v |
| Definition: | to ring slowly and solemnly; to make an ominous sound |
| Etymology: | Old English cnyllan |
| Usage: | transitive |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
knell
O.E. cnyll "sound made by a bell when struck or rung slowly," of imitative origin. Cf. M.H.G. erknellen "to resound," O.E. cnyllan. The Welsh cnull "death-bell" appears to be a borrowing from Eng. For vowel evolution, see bury.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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