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Added 9 October 2026

dumbbell

/ˈdʌm.bɛl/ noun

In Latin: stultus, stulta, stultum Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dumbbell at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An exercising weight; two spheres connected by a short bar that serves as a handle.
An ignorant or foolish person.

Origin

From dumb (“silent”) + bell (“a resonating instrument”). The term "dumbbell" originated in 16th-century England to describe silent exercise apparatus used in practicing the motions of ringing church bells noiselessly. To aid them in the practice of their physically demanding vocation, bellringers originally used weighted ropes on fixed pulleys to mimic the motion of ringing a church bell; since such apparatus made no noise while imitating the motion of ringing a swinging bell via a fixed pulley, they were called "dumb bells".

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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