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Glite Dictionary
bell metal

bell metal

8.5
A hard metal made from copper and tin that is used to make bells
  • noun
  • /bɛl ˈmɛtəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : metal de campana
  • The church's bell metal bells rang out across the valley every morning.

Examples

  • The church bell is made of bell metal.

  • Traditional craftsmen still use bell metal to cast temple bells in many parts of Asia.

  • Because of its durability and resonance, bell metal is prized in the making of musical instruments.

  • Many artists prefer using bell metal for their sculptures.

  • The large church bell was cast from bell metal, ensuring it produced a rich, resonant tone.

  • Artisans carefully crafted the new bell using high-quality bell metal to enhance its durability and sound quality.

  • Many historical bells were made using bell metal, a special alloy known for its excellent acoustic properties.

Synonyms

bronze
vsbell metal
41 3.0

A yellowish-brown metal made from copper and tin used for coins, medals, and sculptures

is a narrower specially made variety primarily used for making bells

Surface Forms

bell metal singular
bell metals plural

Morphology

bell + metal

The meaning 'an alloy used for making bells' is directly inferable from combining 'bell' (the ringing object) with 'metal' (an alloy/material), i.e. the metal of bells. This noun–noun compounding pattern (material for X) is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely understand it.

Etymology

Bell metal is a name that comes from its use: it is a hard mix of copper and tin made so bells will 'ring' loudly and clearly, and here metal simply means the material. That's why the name means metal 'used to make bells'.