Big Ben

noun

-ˈben 

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

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

Lively was joined at the Savoy Hotel by her costar Isabela Ferrer, who plays a younger version of her character Lily in the movie, as the pair posed for photographers in front of famous London landmarks including Big Ben and the London Eye. —Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 8 Aug. 2024

This politically incorrect comedy is all about getting laughs from blowing up elaborate sets of Big Ben, the Great Pyramids and the Eiffel Tower — as well as 22-inch puppets who resemble outspoken liberal celebrities such as Janeane Garofalo, Tim Robbins and Michael Moore. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 16 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Sir Benjamin Hall †1867 English Chief Commissioner of Works

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1