knell Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something
  2. verb ring as in announcing death
  3. verb make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification
    ring.
    • Ring the bells
    • My uncle rings every Sunday at the local church

WordNet

Knell noun
Etymology
OE. knel, cnul, AS. cnyll, fr. cnyllan to sound a bell; cf. D. & G. knallen to clap, crack, G. & Sw. knall a clap, crack, loud sound, Dan. knalde to clap, crack. Cf. Knoll, n. & v.
Definitions
  1. The stoke 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.
    The dead man's knell Is there scarce asked for who. Shak.
    The curfew tolls the knell of parting day. Gray.
Knell intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. knellen, knillen, As. cnyllan. See Knell, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Knelled ; present participle & verbal noun Knelling
Definitions
  1. To sound as a knell; especially, to toll at a death or funeral; hence, to sound as a warning or evil omen.
    Not worth a blessing nor a bell to knell for thee. Beau. & Fl.
    Yet all that poets sing, and grief hath known, Of hopes laid waste, knells in that word, "alone". Ld. Lytton.
Knell transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To summon, as by a knell.
    Each matin bell, the baron saith, Knells us back to a world of death. Coleridge.

Webster 1913