bell

war

Spelled bell, belli · bellum 'war'

Latin bellum means war: belligerent neighbors threaten conflict, bellicose leaders welcome it, and antebellum describes the time before a war.

Words built from it

belligerent — hostile and eager to fight
belli (war) + ger (carry on) + -ent (doing)
bellicose — inclined to fight or start conflicts
bell (war) + -ic (relating to) + -ose (full of)
antebellum — relating to the period before a war, especially the American Civil War
ante- (before) + bell (war)
postbellum — relating to the period after a war
post- (after) + bell (war)
rebel — a person who resists or fights against authority
re- (again) + bell (war)
rebellion — organized resistance or an uprising against authority
re- (again) + bell (war) + -ion (act)

embellish — From Old French embellir, built on bel (beautiful), from Latin bellus (beautiful), not bellum (war).