Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X, list of scientific terms with Scottish connections).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BEL. Physics. A unit, computed logarithmically, of comparative measurement of the intensity of an electrical current at two different points of a circuit (1929 Bell System Techn. Jnl. VIII. 2) esp. in the transmission of sound. Hence decibel, the tenth part of a bel, in which the change in energy which modifies the loudness of a sound is usu. expressed.
[Called after Alexander Graham Bell of Edinburgh, (1847–1922), inventor of the telephone.]
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"Bel ". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snd00089865>
