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Definition of canterbury bells
canterbury bells
Plural:Canterbury bells
canterbury bells Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A biennial garden plant (Campanula medium) native to southern Europe, widely cultivated for its prominent, showy, bell-shaped flowers that typically bloom in striking shades of blue, pink, purple, or white.
Example
"The horticulturist decided to plant a tall border of Canterbury bells to add vibrant structure and color to the classic English cottage garden."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The plant was named for the resemblance of its large, cup-shaped flowers to the small bells traditionally hung on the horses of medieval pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, England.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Canterbury bells. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/canterbury bells