Meanings
verbbear the bell (third-person singular simple present bears the bell, present participle bearing the bell, simple past bore the bell, past participle borne the bell)
present singular third person bears the bell · participle present bearing the bell · past bore the bell · participle past borne the bell
- To be the first or the leader.
Origin
In allusion to the bellwether of a flock, or the leading animal of a team or drove, when wearing a bell.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
bear the bell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bear%20the%20bell
MLA
“bear the bell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bear%20the%20bell. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bear the bell,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bear%20the%20bell.
Source: bear the bell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.