knell

v., knelled, knell·ing, knells.

v.intr.

1. To ring slowly and solemnly, especially for a funeral; toll.
2. To give forth a mournful or ominous sound.

v.tr.
To signal, summon, or proclaim by tolling.

n.

1. The sound of a bell knelling; a toll.
2. A signal of disaster or destruction.

[Middle English knellen, from Old English cnyllan.]

verb

To give forth or cause to give forth a clear, resonant sound: bong, chime, peal, ring², strike, toll². See sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.

IN BRIEF: The slow ringing of a bell.

But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell! Did ye not hear it?—No! 't was but the wind, Or the car rattling o'er the stony street. — Lord Byron (1788-1824), English poet, from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto iii. Stanza 22.

Tutor's tip: The mournful "knell" (sorrowful sound) filled the church as grandmother bent to "kneel" (stoop onto ones knees) and pray.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something

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The verb knell has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: ring, as of bells announcing death

Meaning #2: make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification
  Synonym: ring

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - ringning til begravelse
v. intr. - ringe til begravelse, varsle, forkynde
v. tr. - ringe med dødsklokkerne for

Nederlands (Dutch)
doodsklok, gelui, onheilsteken, (de doodsklok) luiden, onheilspellend/ triest klinken, (einde van iets) aankondigen

Français (French)
n. - glas
v. intr. - sonner le glas
v. tr. - sonner le glas

Deutsch (German)
n. - Totengeläut, unheilverkündendes Omen
v. - läuten, verkünden

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πένθιμη κωδωνοκρουσία, άγγελμα θανάτου
v. - χτυπώ τις καμπάνες πένθιμα

Italiano (Italian)
suonare

Português (Portuguese)
n. - dobre de sinos (m) (fúnebre), mau agouro (m) (fig.)
v. - dobrar sinos (para finados)

Русский (Russian)
похоронный звон, предвестие смерти, звонить по усопшему, предвещать гибель, звонить в колокол

Español (Spanish)
n. - toque de difuntos, tañido fúnebre
v. intr. - doblar, tocar a muerto, sonar tristemente
v. tr. - anunciar a toque de campana, llamar o convocar a toque de campana

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - själaringning
v. - ringa själaringning

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
丧钟声, 凶兆, 哀伤的声音, 鸣丧钟, 发出哀伤之声, 预报凶兆, 敲丧钟召集, 发出丧钟般的声音召集

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 喪鐘聲, 凶兆, 哀傷的聲音
v. intr. - 鳴喪鐘, 發出哀傷之聲, 預報凶兆
v. tr. - 敲喪鐘召集, 發出喪鐘般的聲音召集

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 조종, 구슬픈 소리, 흉조
v. intr. - 장례 소리를 울리다, 죽음을 예고하다, 불길하게 울리다
v. tr. - 소집하다 , 흉사를 알리다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 鐘の音, 終わりを告げるもの, 凶兆, 鐘声, 弔鐘

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) إشارة أو صوت يعلن وفاة شخص, النعي (فعل) يقرع الناقوس, إشارة لموت شخص‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮צילצול פעמון (בלוויה), הודעה, אירוע וכד' המתריע על על אסון קרב ובא‬
v. intr. - ‮צלצל כדי להודיע על פטירה או לוויה (פעמון), השמיע צליל מבשר רע‬
v. tr. - ‮הודיע באמצעות צילצול על אירוע עצוב‬

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