Noun: death knell deth nel
- An omen of death or destruction
"The announcement of massive layoffs sounded the death knell for the struggling company"
- A bell rung to announce a death
"The sombre tone of the death knell echoed through the village";
- death bell
Derived forms: death knells
Type of: bell, omen, portent, presage, prodigy [archaic], prognostic, prognostication
Encyclopedia: Death knell