__ a bell: was familiar

• Sounded like a carillon
• Pushed the doorbell
• Summoned, as the butler
• __ a bell: sounded familiar
• Tried to reach
• Resonated, as a bell
• "You ___?" (butler's response)
• Made a jingle

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
past tense of ring (v.1). Middle English, by analogy of sang / sing , etc.

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. a characteristic sound; "it has the ring of sincerity" a toroidal shape; "a ring of ships in the harbor"; "a halo of smoke" [syn: halo , annulus , anulus , doughnut , anchor ring ] a rigid circular band of metal or wood or other material used for holding ...