Lexic.us

Definition of Knell

1. Verb. Ring as in announcing death.

2. Noun. The sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something.

3. Verb. Make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification. "My uncle rings every Sunday at the local church"

Definition of Knell

1. n. The stroke of a bell tolled at a funeral or at the death of a person; a death signal; a passing bell; hence, figuratively, a warning of, or a sound indicating, the passing away of anything.

2. v. i. To sound as a knell; especially, to toll at a death or funeral; hence, to sound as a warning or evil omen.

3. v. t. To summon, as by a knell.

Definition of Knell

1. Verb. (intransitive) to ring a bell slowly, especially for a funeral; to toll. ¹

2. Verb. (transitive) to signal or proclaim something by ringing a bell. ¹

3. Noun. the sound of a bell knelling; a toll. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Knell

1. to sound a bell [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Knell

kneels kneen kneepad kneepads kneepan kneepans kneepiece kneepieces knees knees-up

knees-ups kneesies kneesock kneesocks kneidlach knell (current term) knelled knelling knells knelt

knessets knevell knevelled knevells knew knew someone in the biblical sense knewest kneweth knick-knack knick-knacks

Literary usage of Knell

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Complete Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott by Walter Scott (1900)
"Then to the musket-knell succeeds The clash of swords, the neigh of steeds, 240 As plies the smith his clanging trade, Against the cuirass rang the blade; ..."

2. History of Zionism, 1600-1918 by Nahum Sokolow (1919)
"PAUL knell (1615-64), ISRAEL AND ENGLAND PARALLELED By Paul knell, Master in Arts of Clare-Hall \ in Cambridge. ..."

3. The First-class Reader: A Selection for Exercises in Reading : from Standard by Benjamin Dudley Emerson (1833)
"LESSON XLIII. The knell of Time.—ANONYMOUS. HEARD you that knell? It was the knell of Time! And is Time dead? I thought Time never died. ..."

4. Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: Consisting of Old Heroic Ballads, Songs, Etc by Thomas Percy, Edward Walford (1887)
"MY Phillida, adieu love l For evermore farewel I Ay me l I've lost my true love, And thus I ring her knell, Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, My Phillida is ..."

5. The Popular Science Monthly by Harry Houdini Collection (Library of Congress) (1884)
"When the depths of the human heart are moved and the imperative claims of justice, truth, and purity once perceived, then the death - knell of mere ..."

Other Resources: