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Chime vs Beep - What's the difference?

chime | beep |

In intransitive terms the difference between chime and beep

is that chime is to agree; to correspond while beep is to produce a beep.

In transitive terms the difference between chime and beep

is that chime is to utter harmoniously; to recite rhythmically while beep is telephoning a person, but only allowing the phone to ring once, in order to request a call back.

chime

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) cymbalum'' (perhaps via (etyl) ''chimbe ).

Noun

(en noun)
  • (musical instruments) A musical instrument producing a sound when struck, similar to a bell (e.g. a tubular metal bar) or actually a bell. Often used in the plural to refer to the set: the chimes .
    • Sylvia had a recording of someone playing the chimes against a background of surf noise that she found calming.
    Hugo was a chime player in the school orchestra.
  • An individual ringing component of such a set.
    • Peter removed the C
  • chime from its mounting so that he could get at the dust that had accumulated underneath.
  • A small bell or other ringing or tone-making device as a component of some other device.
    • The professor had stuffed a wad of gum into the chime of his doorbell so that he wouldn't be bothered.
  • The sound of such an instrument or device.
    • The copier gave a chime to indicate that it had finished printing.
  • A small hammer or other device used to strike a bell.
    • Strike the bell with the brass chime hanging on the chain next to it.
    Derived terms
    * chimist
    Synonyms
    (Synonyms) * alarm * bell * buzz * buzzer * carillon * clapper * curfew * dinger * ding-dong * gong * peal * ringer * siren * tintinnabulum * tocsin * toll * vesper

    Verb

    (chim)
  • To make the sound of a chime.
    • The microwave chimed to indicate that it was done cooking.
    I got up for lunch as soon as the wall clock began chiming noon.
  • To cause to sound in harmony; to play a tune, as upon a set of bells; to move or strike in harmony.
  • * Dryden
    • And chime their sounding hammers.
  • To utter harmoniously; to recite rhythmically.
  • * Byron
    • Chime his childish verse.
  • To agree; to correspond.
    • The other lab's results chimed with mine, so I knew we were on the right track with the research.
  • * Washington Irving
    • Everything chimed in with such a humor.
  • To make a rude correspondence of sounds; to jingle, as in rhyming.
    • (Cowley)

    Derived terms

    * chime in, chime up

    Etymology 2

    See chimb.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A chine; the edge of a cask.
    • (Webster 1913)

    Anagrams

    *

    beep

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The sound produced by the horn of a car, or any similar sound.
  • A short, electronically produced tone.

    • Synonyms

    * (electronically produced ): bleep

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To sound (something that makes a beep).
    • The motorists in the traffic jam were getting more and more frustrated and started beeping their horns.
  • To have sexual intercourse (with) - referring to the bleep tone used to censor obscene words in broadcasts
    • ''Jason beeped Sharlene after they had drunk a few beers.
  • To produce a beep.
  • Telephoning a person, but only allowing the phone to ring once, in order to request a call back.
    • ''Susan beeped Jessica, and then Jessica called her back, because Susan didn't have enough credit on her phone to make the call.

    Synonyms

    * (sound (a car horn) ): honk, hoot, sound, toot * to have intercourse with, have sex with, fuck * (telephoning ): flash

    See also

    * pip English onomatopoeias