chime
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chime¹
- /tʃaɪm/ UK
Rhymes with -aɪm, -aɪ
Where it comes from
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.
noun chimes
- 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. Hugo had a recording of someone playing the chimes against a background of surf noise that she found calming.
- An individual ringing component of such a set. Peter removed the C♯ chime from its mounting so that he could get at the dust that had accumulated underneath.
- A small bell or other ringing or tone-making device as a component of some other device. The professor had stuffed a wad of gum into the chime of his doorbell so that he wouldn't be bothered.
- The sound of such an instrument or device. The copier gave a chime to indicate that it had finished printing.
- A small hammer or other device used to strike a bell. Strike the bell with the brass chime hanging on the chain next to it.
Similar: alarm, bell, buzz, buzzer, carillon, clapper, curfew, ding-dong, dinger, glockenspiel, gong, peal, ringer, siren, tintinnabulum, tocsin, toll, vesper
verb chimes · chiming · chimed
- To make the sound of a chime. The microwave chimed to indicate that it was done cooking.
- To cause to sound in harmony; to play a tune, as upon a set of bells; to move or strike in harmony. And chime their sounding hammers.
- To utter harmoniously; to recite rhythmically. Chime his childish verse.
- To agree; to correspond. The other lab's results chimed with mine, so I knew we were on the right track with the research.
- To make a rude correspondence of sounds; to jingle, as in rhyming. It shall not keep one settled pace of time, In the same tune it shall not always chime
chime²
- /tʃaɪm/ UK
Rhymes with -aɪm, -aɪ
noun chimes
- Alternative form of chine (“edge of a cask; part of a ship; etc.”). Let the chimes meet so that the chime of one cask shall not work into the head of the next.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: gong, bell, sounder, doorbell, ring, beeper, buzzer, sphery, sigh, jingle, tintinnabulum, tubular bells, cowbell, jingle bell, handbell, zither
Translations
Every language
noun hammer or device to strike a bell
| Русский | молото́к molotók |
|---|
noun musical instrument
| 日本語 | 鐘 kane |
|---|---|
| Français | carillon |
| Deutsch | Glocke |
| Русский | колоко́льчики kolokólʹčiki |
noun individual component thereof
| Русский | колоко́льчик kolokólʹčik |
|---|
noun ringing or tone-making component of a device
| Español | campanilla |
|---|---|
| Русский | колоко́льчик kolokólʹčik, звоно́к zvonók |
verb to make the sound of a chime
| Español | tañer |
|---|---|
| Français | carillonner |
| Deutsch | läuten |
| Русский | звене́ть zvenétʹ, звони́ть zvonítʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | rung, kêu |
verb to agree, correspond
| Español | coincidir |
|---|---|
| Português | combinar |
| Deutsch | übereinstimmen |
| Русский | соотве́тствовать sootvétstvovatʹ |
Talk about this word "chime." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chime. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. chime. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chime "chime." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chime.Cite this
@misc{chime_2026,
title = {chime},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chime},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
