chime means 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.
chime is pronounced /tʃaɪm/.
Why “chime” is a great word
A clear, resonant, musical tone produced by the striking of a tuned metal bar, bell, or tube. From Middle English *chymbe*, *chyme*, probably from Old Northern French *chimbe* ("cymbal"), a back-formation from *chimble*, *cimble*, from Latin *cymbalum* ("cymbal"), perhaps reinforced by a misinterpretation of a Middle English *chymbele* (from Old English *ċimbala*, *ċimbal* ("cymbal")) as *chymbe belle*. Unlike a "bell" (typically a hollow cup with an internal clapper) or a "buzzer" (which emits a flat, electric drone), a chime is defined by its harmonic clarity, often as part of a set that can produce a melody. It is the bright, single note that marks a quarter-hour from a clock tower, the soft, random concord of wind stirring a set of pipes on a porch, and the deliberate, melodic cascade that announces a door’s opening—a brief, structured sweetness imposed upon the air before it dissolves back into silence.
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.
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.e.g.“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.e.g.“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.e.g.“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.e.g.“The copier gave a chime to indicate that it had finished printing.”
- A small hammer or other device used to strike a bell.e.g.“Strike the bell with the brass chime hanging on the chain next to it.”
verb
- To make the sound of a chime.e.g.“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.e.g.“And chime their sounding hammers.”
- To utter harmoniously; to recite rhythmically.e.g.“Chime his childish verse.”
- To agree; to correspond.e.g.“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.e.g.“It shall not keep one settled pace of time,
In the same tune it shall not always chime”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- chiming 75% match — An instance of chiming; a sound that chimes. vs chime →
- cymbal 72% match — A concave plate of metal, usually brass or bronze, that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck: played either in pairs, by striking them together, or singly by striking with a drumstick or the like. vs chime →
- chimelike 71% match — Resembling or characteristic of a chime. vs chime →
- chimingly 71% match — With a chime sound. vs chime →
- chimer 68% match — A bell that chimes. vs chime →
- achime 66% match — chiming vs chime →
- ching 62% match — A pair of small bowl-shaped finger cymbals made of thick and heavy bronze, used in the music of Thailand and Cambodia. vs chime →
- chimeless 61% match — Without a chiming sound. vs chime →