chime
Meanings
noun
- A musical instrument producing a sound when struck, similar to a bell (e.g. a tubular metal bar) or actually a bell. Often used in the plural to refer to the set: the chimes.
- An individual ringing component of such a set.
- A small bell or other ringing or tone-making device as a component of some other device.
- The sound of such an instrument or device.
- A small hammer or other device used to strike a bell.
verb
- To make the sound of a chime.
- To cause to sound in harmony; to play a tune, as upon a set of bells; to move or strike in harmony.
- To utter harmoniously; to recite rhythmically.
- To agree; to correspond.
- To make a rude correspondence of sounds; to jingle, as in rhyming.
noun
- Alternative form of chine (“edge of a cask; part of a ship; etc.”).
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Middle English chymbe, chyme, probably from Old Northern French chimbe (“cymbal”), a back-formation from chimble, cimble, from Latin cymbalum; perhaps reinforced by a misinterpretation of a Middle English *chymbele (from Old English ċimbala, ċimbal (“cymbal”)) as chymbe belle.
Synonyms
Derived words
Translations
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