death knell

death knell
N-SING: usu the N for/of n
If you say that something sounds the death knell for a particular person or thing, you mean it will cause that person or thing to fail, end, or cease to exist.

The tax increase sounded the death knell for the business...

It's going to be the death knell of the red deer.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • death knell — Knell Knell, n. [OE. knel, cnul, AS. cnyll, fr. cnyllan to sound a bell; cf. D. & G. knallen to clap, crack, G. & Sw. knall a clap, crack, loud sound, Dan. knalde to clap, crack. Cf. {Knoll}, n. & v.] The stroke of a bell tolled at a funeral or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • death knell — n. 1. A stroke or tolling of a bell, announcing a death; a knell[1]. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence: (figuratively) A sign or harbinger of the end, death, or passing away of anything. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • death knell — n [singular] a sign that something will soon fail or stop existing →↑death blow (sound/strike/toll) the death knell for/of sth ▪ The loss of Georgia would sound the death knell of Republican hopes …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • death knell — ► NOUN 1) the tolling of a bell to mark a death. 2) an event that signals the end of something …   English terms dictionary

  • death knell — death ,knell noun singular LITERARY an event or situation that is a sign of the end of something …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • death knell — noun 1. an omen of death or destruction • Hypernyms: ↑omen, ↑portent, ↑presage, ↑prognostic, ↑prognostication, ↑prodigy 2. a bell rung to announce a death • Syn: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Death knell — A death knell is the ringing of a bell to announce a death. This is also called tolling the bell. The ancient custom of ringing a church bell at the actual time of death (The Passing Bell, or rather the Death Knell) fell into disuse in England by …   Wikipedia

  • death knell — {n.}, {formal} 1. The ringing of a bell at a death or funeral. * /The people mourned at the death knell of their friend./ 2. {literary} Something which shows a future failure. * /Bill s poor grade on his final examination sounded the death knell… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • death knell — {n.}, {formal} 1. The ringing of a bell at a death or funeral. * /The people mourned at the death knell of their friend./ 2. {literary} Something which shows a future failure. * /Bill s poor grade on his final examination sounded the death knell… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • death\ knell — noun formal 1. the ringing of a bell at a death or funeral. The people mourned at the death knell of their friend. 2. literary Something which shows a future failure. Bill s poor grade on his final examination sounded the death knell of his hope… …   Словарь американских идиом

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