Word
chime
US/ˈtʃaɪm/
UK/tʃˈaɪm/
Definition
n. the clear, ringing sound that a bell makes. It can also be a set of bells or a musical instrument that makes these sounds.
n. a clear, resonant sound produced by a bell or a set of tuned metal tubes. Often refers to the melodic sequence played by a clock to mark the hour.
Examples
“The soft chime of the clock woke me up.”
“The wind caught the metal tubes on the porch, creating a gentle chime that echoed through the garden.”
“As the cathedral bells began their midday chime, the vibrations were felt as much as heard by the tourists gathered in the square below.”
Examples
simple
“The soft chime of the clock woke me up.”
contextual
“The wind caught the metal tubes on the porch, creating a gentle chime that echoed through the garden.”
complex
“As the cathedral bells began their midday chime, the vibrations were felt as much as heard by the tourists gathered in the square below.”
Usage
Often used in the plural ('chimes') when referring to a musical instrument or a set of bells.
Real-World Examples
“When I look at my coffee as the bells chime in Cambridge, there is a lot I can say.” “An ice cream man has been hit with a noise complaint by someone who did not like the loud chimes from his van.” Etymology
From Middle English chime, chim, chimbe, chymbe, a shortening of chimbelle (misinterpreted as chymme-belle, chimbe-belle), from Old English ċimbala, ċimbal (“cymbal”), from Latin cymbalum.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
chime in — To talk; to join in conversation or discussion.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/chime