A bell, typically an electric one, that rings to give warning of a fire.
the building's fire bell cut the conversation short
figurative he sees the soaring price of housing as fire bells of inflation
Example sentencesExamples
I was in the departure lounge at the airport a week ago when the fire bell went off.
Inhabitants were startled by the violent ringing of the fire bell at the Town Hall.
I've been in the library during the fire bells and a lot of people do go out.
A spokesman said: "The fire bell sounded and everyone stopped where they were to observe the three minute silence."
The teacher had just got the tape working, when the fire bell went.
As fire bells clang, visitors watch volunteer firemen rush to put out the flames.
When the fire bell in the square sounded the alarm, messengers dashed around to the homes of the firemen, who then rushed to the square to collect the fire engine and scrabble to the scene of the fire.
Whenever the fire bells rang, the volunteer firemen ran to the city fire houses, grabbed their gear, and dragged pumping engines to whatever conflagration awaited them.
The horses were kept in the meadow and when the fire bell rang they would stand at the gate ready to be led to the fire station.
This statistic should be a fire bell to the IT security industry.