bell
noun
uk/bel/ usthe bell
[ S ] STOCK MARKET
the sound that signals the beginning and end of a period of trading on a stock exchange:
after/before the bell The company said after the bell on Wednesday that its quarterly profit rose because of a 36% increase in sales of its software.
Yesterday, all three major American indexes fell immediately after the opening bell.
alarm/warning bells
[ plural ]
used to describe an occasion when you realize that something is wrong:
ring/set off/sound warning bells These figures should sound warning bells that the consumer economy is increasingly fragile.
Soaring costs of oil and gold set alarm bells ringing around the world.