KNELL
knell
(noun) the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something
ring, knell
(verb) make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification; “Ring the bells”; “My uncle rings every Sunday at the local church”
knell
(verb) ring as in announcing death
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
knell (third-person singular simple present knells, present participle knelling, simple past and past participle knelled)
(intransitive) To ring a bell slowly, especially for a funeral; to toll.
(transitive) To signal or proclaim something (especially a death) by ringing a bell.
(transitive) To summon by, or as if by, ringing a bell.
Noun
knell (plural knells)
The sound of a bell knelling; a toll (particularly one signalling a death).
(figuratively) A sign of the end or demise of something or someone.
Proper noun
Knell (plural Knells)
A surname.
Statistics
• According to the 2010 United States Census, Knell is the 21568th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1210 individuals. Knell is most common among White (94.05%) individuals.
Source: Wiktionary
Knell, n. Etym: [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.]
Definition: 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, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Knelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Knelling.] Etym:
[OE. knellen, knillen, As. cnyllan. See Knell, n.]
Definition: 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, v. t.
Definition: To summon, as by a knell.
Each matin bell, the baron saith, Knells us back to a world of death.
Coleridge.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition