Big Ben

noun

1
: a large bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London
2
: the tower that houses Big Ben
also : the clock in the tower

Examples of Big Ben in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Location The hotel is a short walk away from Battersea Power Station, the US Embassy, and Tate Britain, and sits within a close proximity to London landmarks including the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. Felicity Carter, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 The Schwalbe Big Ben 2-inch-wide tires have a hefty tread pattern for an urban bike, offering nice traction. Stephanie Pearson, WIRED, 4 July 2024 Maybelline shared videos of its giant mascara brush taking over the London tube and buses, JD Sports put a huge North Face puffer jacket on Big Ben, and L’Oréal painted a street in Paris with its new non-smudge red lipstick. Nhu Khue Ngo, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Another wonderful quirk is that the minute repeater plays the Westminster Carillon just like London’s Big Ben. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Big Ben 

Word History

Etymology

Sir Benjamin Hall †1867 English Chief Commissioner of Works

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Big Ben was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near Big Ben

Cite this Entry

“Big Ben.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Big%20Ben. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Big Ben

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!