Canterbury bell

noun

Can·​ter·​bury bell ˈkan-tər-ˌber-ē- How to pronounce Canterbury bell (audio)
-tə-,
-ˌbe-rē-,
-ˌb(ə-)rē-
: any of several bellflowers (such as Campanula medium) cultivated for their showy flowers

Word History

Etymology

Canterbury, England

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Canterbury bell was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near Canterbury bell

Canterbury

Canterbury bell

Canterbury palm

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Canterbury bell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Canterbury%20bell. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

Canterbury bell

noun
Can·​ter·​bury bell ˌkant-ə(r)-ˌber-ē- How to pronounce Canterbury bell (audio)
: a cultivated bellflower

More from Merriam-Webster on Canterbury bell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Canterbury bell

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...