knell •\ˈnel\• noun and verb noun: the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something verb: ring as in announcing death verb: make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification The word knell has appeared in 144 New York Times articles in the past year, including on May 19 in "American Accents Being Heard on the Malecón" by Victoria Burnett: Across the bay, the sea-crossing theme continues at a wide-ranging Cuban show at the 18th-century fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña. Hanging in a room are life-size sharks in human clothing, and the detritus of a shipwreck. It is the work of Alexis Leyva Machado, known as Kcho (pronounced catch-oh), whose small bronze bird pounds its beak against a propeller hanging from a rope, ringing an endless knell, next door. Learn more about the word "knell" and see usage examples across a range of subjects on the Vocabulary dictionary.