/tʃaɪm/
OriginFrom Middle English chime, chim, chimbe, chymbe, a shortening of chimbelle (misinterpreted as chymme-belle, chimbe-belle), from Old English ċimbala, ċimbal (“cymbal”), from Latin cymbalum.
- 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.”
“Sylvia was a chime player in the school orchestra.”
- 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.”
“Chimes sing Sunday morn.”
- 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.”
- intransitiveTo make the sound of a chime.
“The microwave chimed to indicate that it was done cooking.”
“I got up for lunch as soon as the wall clock began chiming noon.”
“An interesting feature of the church is the invisible clock, which you can hear thumping away as you enter. Constructed in 1525, it is one of the oldest timepieces in England. It chimes the hours and ”
- transitiveTo 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.”
- transitiveTo utter harmoniously; to recite rhythmically.
“Chime his childish verse.”
- intransitiveTo agree; to correspond.
“The other lab's results chimed with mine, so I knew we were on the right track with the research.”
“Everything chimed in with such a humor.”
- 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”
Formschimes(plural) · chimes(present, singular, third-person) · chiming(participle, present) · chimed(participle, past) · chimed(past)