Old English cnyll "sound made by a bell when struck or rung slowly," perhaps of imitative origin. The Welsh cnull "death-bell" appears to be a borrowing from English. For vowel evolution, see bury.
knell (v.)
Old English cnyllan "to toll a bell; strike, knock," cognate with Middle High German erknellen "to resound," Old Norse knylla "to beat, thrash;" probably imitative. Related: Knelled; knelling.
实用例句
1. The tax increase sounded the death knell for the business.
税赋的增加为这个企业敲响了丧钟。来自柯林斯例句
2. It's going to be the death knell of the red deer.
这将导致马鹿的灭绝。来自柯林斯例句
3. The arrival of large supermarkets sounded the death knell of many small local shops.
