Dinner Bell Meaning and Examples

A dinner bell is a bell, often a large, metal bell, that is rung to signal the time for a meal, typically dinner. It is a traditional way of calling family members or guests to come to the dining area and gather for a meal. Dinner bells are often associated with rural or farmhouse settings, where they were commonly used to alert people working in the fields or around the property that it was time to eat. The sound of a dinner bell has become a symbol of mealtime readiness and a nostalgic element of Americana. In some cases, smaller dinner bells may be used on a table or countertop as a decorative or functional element to signal that a meal is served.

For instance, after cooking and preparing dinner together, a mother and a father may ring their dinner bell together to signal to their children that dinner is ready to be eaten. Then, their children may run excitedly to the dining table.

Example sentences

The old farmhouse had a large cast-iron dinner bell hanging on the porch, which was rung to call everyone to supper.
As soon as the kids heard the dinner bell ringing, they rushed inside from the backyard to enjoy their favorite meal.
Grandma's antique dinner bell, with its distinctive sound, always brought a feeling of nostalgia during family gatherings.
The rancher used a dinner bell to gather the farmhands for lunch in the shade of the barn.
The bed-and-breakfast inn used a charming dinner bell to announce meal times to its guests.
In the days before smartphones, people relied on the sound of the dinner bell to know when it was time to eat.
The summer camp's counselor rang the dinner bell, and the campers eagerly lined up for a hearty meal.
The mountain cabin had a picturesque wooden dinner bell that echoed through the valley as a call to supper.
The quaint seaside restaurant had a lovely view and a brass dinner bell that signaled the start of their nightly seafood feast.
Even in the digital age, some families continue the tradition of using a dinner bell to gather generations for special occasions.

Want to sound like a native speaker?

Engram’s AI-powered grammar checker makes your English sound like a native speaker’s, suggesting natural English expressions on top of fixing grammar, spelling, punctuation, word order, and vocabulary.