▁bott les ▁in ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁bul ge ▁around ▁the ▁middle ; ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁a ▁design ▁without ▁the ▁bul ge ▁was ▁announced . ▁However , ▁the ▁major ▁bell ▁concept ▁has ▁found ▁little ▁favour , ▁and ▁minor ▁third ▁b ells ▁are ▁almost ▁univers ally ▁cast ▁today . ▁ ▁Use ▁in ▁clock ▁ch imes ▁▁ ▁B ells ▁are ▁also ▁associated ▁with ▁clock s , ▁indicating ▁the ▁hour ▁by ▁the ▁striking ▁of ▁b ells . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁word ▁clock ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁word ▁Clo ca , ▁meaning ▁bell . ▁B ells ▁in ▁clock ▁to wers ▁or ▁bell ▁to wers ▁can ▁be ▁heard ▁over ▁long ▁distances , ▁which ▁was ▁especially ▁important ▁in ▁the ▁time ▁when ▁clock s ▁were ▁too ▁expensive ▁for ▁w ides p read ▁use . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁clock ▁to wers ▁and ▁grand father ▁clock s , ▁a ▁particular ▁sequence ▁of ▁t ones ▁may ▁be ▁played ▁to ▁distinguish ▁between ▁the ▁hour , ▁half - hour , ▁quarter - hour , ▁or ▁other ▁intervals . ▁One ▁common ▁pattern ▁is ▁called ▁" West min ster ▁Qu arters ," ▁a ▁six teen - note ▁pattern ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁Palace ▁of ▁West min ster ▁which ▁popular ized ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁measure ▁used ▁by ▁Big ▁Ben . ▁ ▁Notable ▁b ells ▁▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁Bell ▁of ▁D h amma z edi ▁( 1 4 8 4 ) ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁largest ▁bell ▁ever ▁made . ▁It ▁was ▁lost ▁in ▁a ▁river ▁in ▁Bur ma ▁after ▁being ▁removed ▁from ▁a ▁temple