Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [nel]
- /nɛl/
- /nel/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [nel]
- /nɛl/
Definitions of knell word
- noun knell the sound made by a bell rung slowly, especially for a death or a funeral. 1
- noun knell a sound or sign announcing the death of a person or the end, extinction, failure, etc., of something: the knell of parting day. 1
- noun knell any mournful sound. 1
- verb without object knell to sound, as a bell, especially a funeral bell. 1
- verb without object knell to give forth a mournful, ominous, or warning sound. 1
- verb with object knell to proclaim or summon by, or as if by, a bell. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of knell
First appearance:
before 950 One of the 4% oldest English words
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
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Knell
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
knell popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 86% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.
knell usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for knell
verb knell
- sound — The, a strait between SW Sweden and Zealand, connecting the Kattegat and the Baltic. 87 miles (140 km) long; 3–30 miles (5–48 km) wide.
- bell — A bell is a device that makes a ringing sound and is used to give a signal or to attract people's attention.
- signal — anything that serves to indicate, warn, direct, command, or the like, as a light, a gesture, an act, etc.: a traffic signal; a signal to leave.
- summon — to call upon to do something specified.
- warning — the act or utterance of one who warns or the existence, appearance, sound, etc., of a thing that warns.
Top questions with knell
- what does knell mean?
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- what is a death knell?