Bellrags

/ˈbɛlræɡz/ noun

Definition

Cloth or fabric strips used to clean or maintain bells; also dialectal term for bell clappers.

Etymology

Compound of 'bell' plus 'rags,' likely a historical term for maintenance materials in bell-making or bell-ringing contexts.

Kelly Says

The term is so obscure that even bell-ringers today rarely use it, suggesting it belonged to a specific regional trade vocabulary that has almost completely disappeared from English.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.