verb
knell
nehl
verb
1
To ring a bell slowly and solemnly, especially to mark a death or funeral.
"The church bell knelled through the village as the funeral procession passed."
noun
1
A slow, solemn ringing of a bell, especially to announce a death; more broadly, a sign that something is coming to an end.
"The factory closure sounded the knell for the town's manufacturing industry."
How to Use Knell
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA slow, mournful bell-toll, or, more broadly, a sign that something is dying or ending.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sound the death knell
a knell for something
the final knell
Word Forms
knelled past tense, knells plural, Knells plural, knells singular
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The church bell _____ through the village as the funeral procession passed.
Etymology
From Old English cnyllan, "to strike or knock," related to an old Germanic root meaning "to beat or push."