(a) A church bell; also, a warning or signal bell of any kind, a small bell held in the hand; (b) a bell used as a musical instrument, a gong; (c) a hand bell rung before a corpse on the way to burial.

(a) chapel ~, the bell in the steeple or tower of a chapel; (b) commune ~, a bell rung as a signal or warning to people in general; (c) lege ~, ?a bell carried before a corpse [= lich ~], ?a bell used for ringing the hours [= loge ~, cp. orloge]; (d) sacring ~, a bell rung at the elevation of the Host.

In comparisons, with reference to loudness, clearness, cheerfulness, shape, etc.

(a) A bell rung to indicate an hour or a time of day; esp., a bell rung at the canonical hours; our ladi(es) ~, the Angelus; ~ of evesong, ~ of laudes, etc.; (b) seven at the ~, seven o'clock; ten of the ~, ten o'clock; etc.; (c) betwen ~ and ~, between the last bell at night and the first of the morning, after curfew; cok be thi ~, cock be your horologe, let the cock awaken you.

(a) A bell on a tavern sign; name of a tavern; ?also, name of a bawdy house [cp. Baum MLN 36.307-9]; in personal names: atte ~, de la ~; (b) as personal name.

A small bell, or bell-like ornament: (a) attached to clothing, etc.; hung about the neck of a fool or jester; (b) attached to the bridle, saddle, or trappings of an animal; hung about an animal's neck; (c) attached to a falcon; haukes belles.

(a) A bell-shaped dish or vessel; bell-shaped cover for a dish; ~ pece, bell-shaped vessel; (b) a cauldron.

A bubble.

The best of a class, the highest exemplification of a quality [cp. 9].

In compounds and phrases: (a) ~ bras, brass or bronze of which bells are cast; (b) ~ clapper, the tongue of a bell; (c) ~ drem, the sound of bells; (d) ~ flor, ?a belfry, ?the floor under the bells; (e) ~ knelling, the tolling of a bell; (f) ~ ringester, female bell ringer, nun in charge of summoning the convent to prayers; (g) ~ ringing, ringing of bells; (h) ~ rope, rope for ringing a bell; (i) ~ shape, the shape of a bell; also, bell-shaped; (j) ~ string, a bell rope; (k) ~ ward, one in charge of bells; ~ wardgate, the lane or street of the belle-ward; (l) ~ whel, a wheel forming part of the apparatus for ringing a bell; (m) ~ wise, the shape of a bell.

In idiomatic expressions: (a) beren the bell, to be the best, take the prize, be victorious; also iron.; (b) ringen ~, to spread news, publish abroad; spread scandal about (sb.); reveal (one's) secret; (c) cursen with (candel) bok and ~, to curse (sb.) utterly, excommunicate; blissen with bok and with ~, to bless (sth.) completely; bok and ~, all things, everything.

In oaths: bi ~ and bok, bi bok and (bi) ~, bi masse bok and ~, by the church bell and the mass book; bi godes (owen) ~, by the church bell; treu as bok or ~, faithful as the prayer book or the church bell.

Bot. In plant names, apparently applied chiefly to those of bell-shaped flowers or fruit: ~ wede, ?rue or meadow rue (genus Ruta or Thalictrum); also, ?lungwort [quot. a1500 MS Sln.282; perh. error for bolle ~]; ~ wort, any of several plants, prob. including bellflower or a similar plant of the genus Campanula, lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis, and some species of rue, perh. Ruta graveolens; cokkou ~ [see cokkou n. sense 3.]; hare ~ [see hare n., sense 2.(b)]; hen ~ [see hen n.(1), sense 2.(b)]; wode ~ and its variants [see wode n.(2), sense 4.(a) and (c)].

?Error for velle or vielle (i.e. fiel(e n.).