The Dictionary of English Nautical Language Database: Search Results
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Term:
bell (n)
Definition:
A stroke of the ship’s bell, indicating a half-hour period of a normal four hour watch has passed. Starting at the beginning of a watch, one stroke is added each half hour until at watch change eight bells is struck. The strokes of a ship’s bell are rung in quick pairs. For example, five bells would sound DING DING ( pause) DING DING (pause) DING. 2) A navigation aid which has a bell on it.
