doorbell

CEFRA2

/ˈdɔː.bɛl/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A bell outside a door that visitors press.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    To ring many doorbells in an effort to contact people and thereby spread information or solicit.

Examples

  • I was about to leave when the doorbell rang.

  • Just after putting away the dishes, Joan heard the doorbell ring.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
2
Citations
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A bell, buzzer, or chime device mounted on or adjacent to a door's exterior, meant to be rung by a visitor to announce one's presence.

verb

Extra meaning

  1. To ring many doorbells of (target people or an area) in an effort to contact people and thereby spread information or solicit.

More examples

In context

  • We doorbelled the whole district in an effort to get out the vote.

  • There are, of course, smart speakers (which roughly a quarter of American homes have) and smart thermostats, as well as smart thermometers, smart mattress covers, smart coffee makers, smart doorbells, and even, yes, smart toasters.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The delivery man pressed the blank and waited for someone to answer.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From door + bell.