'dumbbell' originates from the combination of 'dumb' and 'bell', where 'dumb' meant 'silent' and 'bell' referred to the shape of the weight.

'dumbbell' changed from the practice of using silent bells for weight training and eventually became the modern English word 'dumbbell'.

Initially, it referred to silent bells used for training, but over time it evolved into its current meaning of a weight used for exercise.