doorbell

doorbell — noun

1. a small button mounted outside a building that, when pressed, makes a ringing so

1.nounA2
Definition

a small button mounted outside a building that, when pressed, makes a ringing sound inside to alert the people in the building that a visitor is at the door

Example

A strange man rang the doorbell just as the Tanaka family sat down for dinner.

collocation: ring the doorbell

The doorbell is broken, so please knock loudly when you arrive.

collocation: broken doorbell

Common collocations
  • ring the doorbell
  • press the doorbell
  • answer the doorbell
  • the doorbell rang
  • fix the doorbell
  • front doorbell
  • back doorbell
Synonyms
  • buzzer

    often refers to the buzzing sound in apartment buildings; slightly less formal than doorbell

  • bell

    a broader term that can include doorbells, handbells, and other ringing devices

Grammar Patterns

the + doorbell

possessive + doorbell

Usage Note

Common verb partners include 'ring', 'press', 'answer', and 'fix'. Some homes have a separate doorbell for the front and back door.

Common Mistakes

Please call the doorbell when you get here.
Please ring the doorbell when you get here.
'call' is used for telephones; 'ring' or 'press' are used for doorbells.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Doorbell is the everyday term for the button-and-bell system at a home's entrance. Buzzer is more common in apartment buildings, where pressing a code produces a buzzing sound to unlock the door — it suggests a harsher, electronic sound rather than a musical ring. Bell is a very broad word covering any metal object that makes a ringing sound when struck; a doorbell is one type of bell. Chime refers specifically to a musical or melodic doorbell sound, often made of multiple notes. Use doorbell for most household situations ('My neighbour rang the doorbell at 7 a.m.'), and buzzer when talking about flats or security entries ('Press buzzer 3B to be let in.').

doorbell ↗buzzerbell ↗chime

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Doorbell is a compound word formed from 'door' (from Old English 'duru', meaning the entrance to a building) and 'bell' (from Old English 'belle', meaning a hollow metal object that rings when struck). The word has been used in its modern sense since at least the 1700s, when mechanical doorbells became common in households.