Meanings
verbbell the cat (third-person singular simple present bells the cat, present participle belling the cat, simple past and past participle belled the cat)
present singular third person bells the cat · participle present belling the cat · participle past belled the cat · past belled the cat
Origin
From a medieval fable in which mice agree that a bell should be put round a cat's neck so they will always be warned of its arrival, but cannot agree who should undertake the dangerous task.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch de kat de bel aanbinden
- de kat de bel aanbindento undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Finnish panna kello kissan kaulaan
- panna kello kissan kaulaanto undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
French attacher le grelot
- attacher le grelotto undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
German der Katze die Schelle umhängen, der Katze die Schelle anhängen
- der Katze die Schelle umhängento undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- der Katze die Schelle anhängento undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Korean 고양이 목에 방울 달기
- 고양이 목에 방울 달기 (goyang'i moge bang'ul dalgi)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Norwegian Bokmål henge bjella på katten
- henge bjella på kattento undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Persian پیش مرگ شدن، در انجام کار مشکلی پیش قدم شدن
- پیش مرگ شدن، در انجام کار مشکلی پیش قدم شدنto undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Polish narazić się (dla dobra grupy)
- narazić się (dla dobra grupy)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Russian рискова́ть собо́й, броса́ться на амбразу́ру
- рискова́ть собо́й (riskovátʹ sobój)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- броса́ться на амбразу́ру (brosátʹsja na ambrazúru)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- вызыва́ть ого́нь на себя́ (vyzyvátʹ ogónʹ na sebjá)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- подста́вить себя́ под уда́р (podstávitʹ sebjá pod udár)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- отва́живаться (otváživatʹsja)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- подставля́ть го́лову (podstavljátʹ gólovu)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- лезть на рожо́н (leztʹ na rožón)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- броса́ться в о́мут с голово́й (brosátʹsja v ómut s golovój)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- ходи́ть по острию́ ножа́ (xodítʹ po ostrijú nožá)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- игра́ть с огнём (igrátʹ s ognjóm)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- испы́тывать судьбу́ (ispýtyvatʹ sudʹbú)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- ссать про́тив ве́тра (ssatʹ prótiv vétra)to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Spanish ponerle el cascabel al gato
- ponerle el cascabel al gatoto undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Vietnamese đeo lục lạc cho mèo, treo chuông cổ mèo
- đeo lục lạc cho mèoto undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
- treo chuông cổ mèoto undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
Cite this entry
APA
bell the cat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bell%20the%20cat
MLA
“bell the cat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bell%20the%20cat. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bell the cat,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bell%20the%20cat.
Source: bell the cat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.