chime
/tʃaɪm/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.14 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A musical instrument producing a sound when struck, similar to a bell (e.g. a tubular metal bar) or actually a bell. Often used in the plural to refer to the set: the chimes.
noun
An individual ringing component of such a set.
noun
The sound of such an instrument or device.
Example Sentences
- "Hugo had a recording of someone playing the chimes against a background of surf noise that she found calming."
- "Sylvia was a chime player in the school orchestra."
- "Peter removed the C♯ chime from its mounting so that he could get at the dust that had accumulated underneath."
- "The professor had stuffed a wad of gum into the chime of his doorbell so that he wouldn't be bothered."
- "The copier gave a chime to indicate that it had finished printing."
- "Chimes sing Sunday morn."
Etymology
From Middle English chymbe, chyme, probably from Old Northern French chimbe (“cymbal”), a back-formation from chimble, cimble, from Latin cymbalum; perhaps reinforced by a misinterpretation of a Middle English *chymbele (from Old English ċimbala, ċimbal (“cymbal”)) as chymbe belle.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /tʃaɪm/