A bell consists of a large hollow piece of metal (or, rarely, some other material) and a clapper which strikes the metal and makes it ring.
Is there a word that distinguishes specifically the big, cup-shaped piece of metal that gets hit, from the instrument as a whole?
For example:
The clapper is suspended within the < word > and strikes the < word > to produce a tone.
The best I could come up with is 'bell head', but the internet gives me only "Bellhead":
(slang) A supporter of traditional centralized telecommunications networks, contrasted with nethead (a supporter of the Internet and its flexibility and technical underpinnings).
Best Answer
It appears the part where the clapper or hammer hits the bell from the inside is called the sound bow. And the entire shape of the bell is called a cup
From The Carillon: How it works
The Harvard Dictionary of Music