English Dictionary

Definition of “ring”

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1ring1 (rɪŋPronunciation for ring1) 

Definitions

noun

  1. a circular band usually of a precious metal, esp gold, often set with gems and worn upon the finger as an adornment or as a token of engagement or marriage
  2. any object or mark that is circular in shape
  3. a circular path or course  ⇒ to run around in a ring 
  4. a group of people or things standing or arranged so as to form a circle  ⇒ a ring of spectators 
  5. an enclosed space, usually circular in shape, where circus acts are performed
  6. a square apron or raised platform, marked off by ropes, in which contestants box or wrestle
  7. See the ring
  8. the field of competition or rivalry
  9. See throw one's hat in the ring
  10. a group of people usually operating illegally and covertly  ⇒ a drug ring a paedophile ring 
  11. (esp at country fairs) an enclosure, often circular, where horses, cattle, and other livestock are paraded and auctioned
  12. an area reserved for betting at a racecourse
  13. a circular strip of bark cut from a tree or branch, esp in order to kill it
  14. a single turn in a spiral
  15. geometry the area of space lying between two concentric circles
  16. mathematics a set that is subject to two binary operations, addition and multiplication, such that the set is an Abelian group under addition and is closed under multiplication, this latter operation being associative
  17. botany short for annual ring
  18. closed chainchemistry a closed loop of atoms in a molecule
  19. astronomy any of the thin circular bands of small bodies orbiting a giant planet, esp Saturn See also Saturn2 (sense 1)
  20. See run rings around

verb

Word forms: rings, ringing, ringed
(tr)
  1. to surround with or as if with or form a ring; encircle
  2. to mark (a bird) with a ring or clip for subsequent identification
  3. to fit a ring in the nose of (a bull, pig, etc) so that it can be led easily
  4. ringbark
    1. to cut away a circular strip of bark from (a tree or branch) in order to kill it
    2. to cut a narrow or partial ring from (the trunk of a tree) in order to check or prevent vigorous growth
  5. Australian New Zealand to be the fastest shearer in a shearing shed (esp in the phrase ring the shed)

Word Origin

Old English hring ; related to Old Norse hringr

2ring2 (rɪŋPronunciation for ring2) 

Definitions

verb

Word forms: rings, ringing, rang, rung
  1. to emit or cause to emit a sonorous or resonant sound, characteristic of certain metals when struck
  2. to cause (a bell) to emit a ringing sound by striking it once or repeatedly or (of a bell) to emit such a sound
    1. (tr) to cause (a large bell, esp a church bell) to emit a ringing sound by pulling on a rope that is attached to a wheel on which the bell swings back and forth, being sounded by a clapper inside it Compare chime1 (sense 6)
    2. (intr) (of a bell) to sound by being swung in this way
  4. (intr) (of a building, place, etc) to be filled with sound; echo  ⇒ the church rang with singing 
  5. (intr) for to call by means of a bell, buzzer, etc  ⇒ to ring for the butler 
  6. ring upmainly British to call (a person) by telephone
  7. (tr) to strike or tap (a coin) in order to assess its genuineness by the sound produced
  8. (intr) (of the ears) to have or give the sensation of humming or ringing
  9. (intr) electronics (of an electric circuit) to produce a damped oscillatory wave after the application of a sharp input transition
  10. slang to change the identity of (a stolen vehicle) by using the licence plate, serial number, etc, of another, usually disused, vehicle
  11. See ring a bell
  12. See ring down the curtain
  13. See ring false
  14. See ring the bell
  15. See ring the changes
  16. See ring true

noun

  1. the act of or a sound made by ringing
  2. a sound produced by or suggestive of a bell
  3. any resonant or metallic sound, esp one sustained or re-echoed  ⇒ the ring of trumpets 
  4. informal mainly British a telephone call  ⇒ he gave her a ring last night 
  5. the complete set of bells in a tower or belfry  ⇒ a ring of eight bells See peal1 (sense 3)
  6. an inherent quality or characteristic  ⇒ his explanation has the ring of sincerity 
  7. electronics the damped oscillatory wave produced by a circuit that rings

See also

ring back , ring in , ring off , ring out , ring up

Word Origin

Old English hringan ; related to Old High German hringen  Old Norse hringja

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= phone, call, telephone, buzz, give someone a call get on the phone to give someone a bell give someone a tinkle reach,
= chime, sound, toll, resound, resonate, reverberate, clang, peal,
= reverberate, echo, resound, resonate,
= call, phone call, buzz, tinkle,
= chime, toll, jingle, ding, tinkle, knell, peal, dinging,

Translations

  • British English: ring Pronunciation for ring A ring is a round piece of metal that you wear on a finger.He turned the ring on his finger.rɪŋ NOUN He turned the ring on his finger.
  • Spanish: anillo Pronunciation for anillo nm
  • French: bague Pronunciation for bague nf
  • German: Ring Pronunciation for Ring nm
  • Chinese: 铃声Pronunciation for 铃声 n
  • Arabic: رَنِيـنPronunciation for رَنِيـن n
  • Portuguese: anelPronunciation for anel nm
  • Russian: кольцоPronunciation for кольцо nnt
  • Croatian: prstenPronunciation for prsten nm
  • Czech: prstýnekPronunciation for prstýnek nm
  • Danish: ringPronunciation for ring nutr
  • Dutch: ringPronunciation for ring nm
  • Finnish: soittoPronunciation for soitto n
  • Greek: δαχτυλίδιPronunciation for δαχτυλίδι nnt
  • Italian: anelloPronunciation for anello nm
  • Japanese: 鳴らすことPronunciation for 鳴らすこと n
  • Korean: 반지Pronunciation for 반지 n
  • Norwegian: ringPronunciation for ring nm
  • Polish: pierścieńPronunciation for pierścień nm
  • Brazilian Portuguese: anelPronunciation for anel nm
  • European Spanish: anillo Pronunciation for anillo nm
  • Swedish: ringPronunciation for ring nutr
  • Thai: แหวนPronunciation for แหวน n
  • Turkish: yüzükPronunciation for yüzük n
  • Vietnamese: tiếng chuôngPronunciation for tiếng chuông n
  • British English: ring Pronunciation for ring When you ring someone, you telephone them.He rang me at my mother's.rɪŋ VERB He rang me at my mother's.
  • Spanish: sonar Pronunciation for sonar v
  • French: téléphoner àPronunciation for téléphoner à vi
  • German: klingeln Pronunciation for klingeln v
  • Chinese: 打电话Pronunciation for 打电话 v
  • Arabic: يُخابِرُPronunciation for يُخابِرُ v
  • Portuguese: tocarPronunciation for tocar v
  • Russian: звонитьPronunciation for звонить v
  • Croatian: okružitiPronunciation for okružiti v
  • Czech: zazvonitPronunciation for zazvonit v zvonit
  • Danish: ringePronunciation for ringe v
  • Dutch: rinkelenPronunciation for rinkelen v
  • Finnish: soidaPronunciation for soida v
  • Greek: κουδουνίζωPronunciation for κουδουνίζω v
  • Italian: suonarePronunciation for suonare v
  • Japanese: 鳴らすPronunciation for 鳴らす v
  • Korean: 울리다Pronunciation for 울리다 v
  • Norwegian: ringePronunciation for ringe v
  • Polish: zadzwonićPronunciation for zadzwonić v dzwonić
  • Brazilian Portuguese: telefonarPronunciation for telefonar vt
  • European Spanish: sonar Pronunciation for sonar v
  • Swedish: ringaPronunciation for ringa v
  • Thai: ส่งเสียงดังกังวานPronunciation for ส่งเสียงดังกังวาน v
  • Turkish: çalmakPronunciation for çalmak v
  • Vietnamese: kêu leng kengPronunciation for kêu leng keng v
  • British English: ring When a bell rings, or when you ring it, it makes a clear, loud sound.The school bell rings at nine o'clock.rɪŋ VERB The school bell rings at nine o'clock.
  • French: sonner vi
  • Arabic: يَرِنُّ v
  • Brazilian Portuguese: tocar vt

Usage examples

  • She crushed the cigarette into the ashtray and stood with a loud crack from the signet ring on her finger rapping the table.
    Robert Wilson, BLOOD IS DIRT (2002)
  • It is a dream that can come true for, generally speaking, house prices north of the border still have a sensibly old-fashioned ring to them.
    Country Life (2005)
  • There's a fierce ring of last time round, Fatso, about this election.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • Despite his menacing air in the ring , Frank can be quite nervous in front of crowds.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • Alternatively, put a few drops of oil in a ceramic ring which can be warmed on a light bulb.
    Sally Gunnell, Kathryn Leigh, BE YOUR BEST: How Anyone can become Fit, Healthy and Confident (2002)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'R'

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