A melodious ringing sound produced by bells or similar instruments, or the device that produces such sounds.
Middle English from Old French 'chymbe', possibly from Latin 'cymbalum' (cymbal). The word evolved from describing bell sounds to include any harmonious ringing tone.
Chimes represent humanity's desire to mark time beautifully - instead of just announcing the hour, we created instruments that turn temporal announcements into momentary music, making even clock-watching poetic.
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