A short barbell with weights at both ends, designed to be held in one hand, allowing for unilateral training and a wide range of motion in strength exercises.
Originally from 'dumb bell' - 'dumb' meaning silent (from Old English 'dumb') and 'bell' referring to church bells. In the 1700s, these were silent versions of bell-ringing apparatus used by church bell ringers to practice without making noise, later adapted for exercise.
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