A bell rung immediately after a death as a signal for prayers.
‘No passing bells here, though there are three churches within spitting distance.’
‘Owen had come closer to the reality when he had asked ‘What passing bells for these who die as cattle?’’
‘The last of the book's generous number of historical illustrations has the timbre of a passing bell: a ‘Design for a Motor Garage and Chauffeur's Lodge’ from 1913.’
‘She was awakened rudely by the ringing of the passing bell.’
‘When biting the kerb in a Paris street, there is no recompense, no handfuls of clay with which to sign the mould for your own passing bell.’
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