Big Ben
Preserved but no longer current.
The name given to the large bell in the Clock Tower (or St. Stephen's Tower) at the Houses of Parliament. It weighs 13$ tons, and is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, Chief Commissioner of Works in 1856, when it was cast.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Big Ben” mean?
The name given to the large bell in the Clock Tower (or St. Stephen's Tower) at the Houses of Parliament. It weighs 13$ tons, and is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, Chief Commissioner of Works in 1856, when it was cast.
Is “Big Ben” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.