See bell the cat in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_text": "From a medieval fable in which mice agree that a bell should be put round a cat's neck so they will always be warned of its arrival, but cannot agree who should undertake the dangerous task.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bells the cat",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "belling the cat",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "belled the cat",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "belled the cat",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "*"
},
"expansion": "bell the cat (third-person singular simple present bells the cat, present participle belling the cat, simple past and past participle belled the cat)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
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{
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},
{
"kind": "other",
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},
{
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},
{
"kind": "other",
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},
{
"kind": "other",
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"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Korean translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations",
"parents": [],
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},
{
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"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
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"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
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"parents": [],
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},
{
"kind": "other",
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"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
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}
],
"glosses": [
"To undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group."
],
"id": "en-bell_the_cat-en-verb-JNvg9cdn",
"links": [
[
"undertake",
"undertake"
],
[
"dangerous",
"dangerous"
],
[
"service",
"service"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) To undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group."
],
"related": [
{
"word": "take one for the team"
},
{
"word": "step into the breach"
},
{
"word": "fall on a grenade"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "de kat de bel aanbinden"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "panna kello kissan kaulaan"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"lang_code": "fr",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "attacher le grelot"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "der Katze die Schelle umhängen"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "der Katze die Schelle anhängen"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"lang_code": "ko",
"roman": "goyang'i moge bang'ul dalgi",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "고양이 목에 방울 달기"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"lang_code": "nb",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "henge bjella på katten"
},
{
"code": "nn",
"lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
"lang_code": "nn",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "hengje bjølla på katten"
},
{
"code": "nn",
"lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
"lang_code": "nn",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "henge bjølla på katten"
},
{
"code": "fa",
"lang": "Persian",
"lang_code": "fa",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "پیش مرگ شدن، در انجام کار مشکلی پیش قدم شدن"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"lang_code": "pl",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "narazić się (dla dobra grupy)"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "riskovátʹ sobój",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "рискова́ть собо́й"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "brosátʹsja na ambrazúru",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "броса́ться на амбразу́ру"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "vyzyvátʹ ogónʹ na sebjá",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "вызыва́ть ого́нь на себя́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "podstávitʹ sebjá pod udár",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "подста́вить себя́ под уда́р"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "otváživatʹsja",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "отва́живаться"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "podstavljátʹ gólovu",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "подставля́ть го́лову"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "leztʹ na rožón",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "лезть на рожо́н"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "brosátʹsja v ómut s golovój",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "броса́ться в о́мут с голово́й"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "xodítʹ po ostrijú nožá",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ходи́ть по острию́ ножа́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "igrátʹ s ognjóm",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "игра́ть с огнём"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "ispýtyvatʹ sudʹbú",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "испы́тывать судьбу́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"english": "(vulgar)",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "ssatʹ prótiv vétra",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"translation": "(vulgar)",
"word": "ссать про́тив ве́тра"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "ponerle el cascabel al gato"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"lang_code": "vi",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "đeo lục lạc cho mèo"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"lang_code": "vi",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "treo chuông cổ mèo"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
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"audio": "en-au-bell the cat.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/39/En-au-bell_the_cat.ogg/En-au-bell_the_cat.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/En-au-bell_the_cat.ogg"
}
],
"word": "bell the cat"
}
{
"etymology_text": "From a medieval fable in which mice agree that a bell should be put round a cat's neck so they will always be warned of its arrival, but cannot agree who should undertake the dangerous task.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bells the cat",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "belling the cat",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "belled the cat",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "belled the cat",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "*"
},
"expansion": "bell the cat (third-person singular simple present bells the cat, present participle belling the cat, simple past and past participle belled the cat)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"word": "take one for the team"
},
{
"word": "step into the breach"
},
{
"word": "fall on a grenade"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English idioms",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English predicates",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Korean translations",
"Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
"Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations",
"Terms with Persian translations",
"Terms with Polish translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Vietnamese translations"
],
"glosses": [
"To undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group."
],
"links": [
[
"undertake",
"undertake"
],
[
"dangerous",
"dangerous"
],
[
"service",
"service"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) To undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-bell the cat.ogg",
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"translations": [
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "de kat de bel aanbinden"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "panna kello kissan kaulaan"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"lang_code": "fr",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "attacher le grelot"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "der Katze die Schelle umhängen"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "der Katze die Schelle anhängen"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"lang_code": "ko",
"roman": "goyang'i moge bang'ul dalgi",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "고양이 목에 방울 달기"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"lang_code": "nb",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "henge bjella på katten"
},
{
"code": "nn",
"lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
"lang_code": "nn",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "hengje bjølla på katten"
},
{
"code": "nn",
"lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
"lang_code": "nn",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "henge bjølla på katten"
},
{
"code": "fa",
"lang": "Persian",
"lang_code": "fa",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "پیش مرگ شدن، در انجام کار مشکلی پیش قدم شدن"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"lang_code": "pl",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "narazić się (dla dobra grupy)"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "riskovátʹ sobój",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "рискова́ть собо́й"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "brosátʹsja na ambrazúru",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "броса́ться на амбразу́ру"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "vyzyvátʹ ogónʹ na sebjá",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "вызыва́ть ого́нь на себя́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "podstávitʹ sebjá pod udár",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "подста́вить себя́ под уда́р"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "otváživatʹsja",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "отва́живаться"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "podstavljátʹ gólovu",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "подставля́ть го́лову"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "leztʹ na rožón",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "лезть на рожо́н"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "brosátʹsja v ómut s golovój",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "броса́ться в о́мут с голово́й"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "xodítʹ po ostrijú nožá",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ходи́ть по острию́ ножа́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "igrátʹ s ognjóm",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "игра́ть с огнём"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "ispýtyvatʹ sudʹbú",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "испы́тывать судьбу́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"english": "(vulgar)",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "ssatʹ prótiv vétra",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"translation": "(vulgar)",
"word": "ссать про́тив ве́тра"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "ponerle el cascabel al gato"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"lang_code": "vi",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "đeo lục lạc cho mèo"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"lang_code": "vi",
"sense": "to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group",
"word": "treo chuông cổ mèo"
}
],
"word": "bell the cat"
}
Download raw JSONL data for bell the cat meaning in English (7.3kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-03-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-03-03 using wiktextract (05c257f and 9d9a410). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.