knell
pronunciation
How to pronounce knell in British English:
UK [nel]
How to pronounce knell in American English:
US [nel]
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- Noun:
- the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something
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- Verb:
- ring as in announcing death
- make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification
Word Origin
- knell (n.)
- Old English cnyll "sound made by a bell when struck or rung slowly," perhaps of imitative origin. The Welsh cnull "death-bell" appears to be a borrowing from English. For vowel evolution, see bury.
- knell (v.)
- Old English cnyllan "to toll a bell; strike, knock," cognate with Middle High German erknellen "to resound," Old Norse knylla "to beat, thrash;" probably imitative. Related: Knelled; knelling.
Example
- 1. Hear it not , duncan , for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell .
- 2. So while 2011 could very well be the year of the tablet as many analysts have forecasted , its ringing success won 't simultaneously sound the death knell for the pc.
- 3. Soon comes the morning when the knell is rung .
- 4. It sounded the death knell of all her hopes .
- 5. Let us all ring fancy s knell .