A bell is a hollow cup-like object, usually metal, that rings when struck by means of a clapper on the inside of it. An electronic tone simulating the sound of a bell is also called a bell, as is an object which is shaped like a bell. Bell may be used as a verb to mean attaching a bell to an animal or object, related words are bells, belled, belling.
A belle is an extremely attractive young lady or woman, or the most popular or attractive young lady or woman at a social function.
Examples
Two men who stole a historic solid brass church bell, chopped it into pieces and then sold them at a scrap yard are likely to face felony charges this week, the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office said. (The Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
In tech earnings news, Apple is reporting earnings tomorrow after the closing bell and this is the quarter that we’re all supposed to be scared of. (The Business Insider)
Use 1-inch-thick pork rib chops, first searing them, then braising them in a spicy oyster sauce with multicolored bell peppers, onions, and sugar snaps. (The Boston Globe)
In the next decade, denim was embraced by the counterculture, becoming an emblem of the hippies, who wore bell-bottomed “pre-owned” jeans with hand embellishments and anti-establishment defiance. (The New York Press)
“Belling the cat” (that is, hanging a bell around the animal’s neck, as in Aesop’s fable) ought to be the minimum cat owners do. (The Telegraph)
The Odessa Symphony Guild will present the Belles and Beaux at the Annual Ball Jan. 30 at the Odessa Country Club. (The Odessa American)
Attired in purple and red, members of the Red Hat Belles opened 2016 with their first gathering of the year — a luncheon Friday in the back room of Neives’ Mexican Restaurant. (The Winfield Daily Courier)