نقس

نَاقوُسٌ ذ The thing which the Christians strike, or beat, (S, A, Mgh, Msb, K,) to notify the times of prayer, (S, A, Mgh, K,) as a sign for commencing their prayer; (Msb;) being a piece of wood, long, (A, Mgh, K,) and large (K,) [ suspended to two cords, (Golius,)] with another which is short, [ with which the former is struck, or beaten, ] and which is called وَبِيلٌ: (A, K:) pl. نَوَاقِيسُ (S, TA) and نُقُسٌ, as though the ا in the sing. were imagined to be suppressed in forming the latter pl. (TA.) ― -b2- [Hence, in the present day, applied to A bell: and particularly to the bell of a church or convent. ]