I. TELEPHONING OR MAKING A SOUND
(~s, ~ing, rang, rung)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Please look at category 11 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
When you ~ someone, you telephone them. (mainly BRIT)
He rang me at my mother’s...
I would ~ when I got back to the hotel...
She has rung home just once...
Could someone ~ for a taxi?
= phone
VERB: V n, V, V adv, V for n
•
Ring up means the same as ~ . (in AM, usually use call )
You can ~ us up anytime...
John rang up and invited himself over for dinner...
A few months ago I rang up about some housing problems...
Nobody ~s up a doctor in the middle of the night for no reason.
PHRASAL VERB: V n P, V P, V P about n, V P n (not pron)
2.
When a telephone ~s, it makes a sound to let you know that someone is phoning you.
As soon as he got home, the phone rang...
VERB: V
•
Ring is also a noun.
After at least eight ~s, an ancient-sounding maid answered the phone.
N-COUNT
~ing
She was jolted out of her sleep by the ~ing of the telephone.
N-UNCOUNT
3.
When you ~ a bell or when a bell ~s, it makes a sound.
He heard the school bell ~...
The door was opened before she could ~ the bell.
VERB: V, V n
•
Ring is also a noun.
There was a ~ at the bell.
N-COUNT
~ing
...the ~ing of church bells.
N-UNCOUNT
4.
If you ~ for something, you ~ a bell to call someone to b~ it to you. If you ~ for someone, you ~ a bell so that they will come to you.
Shall I ~ for a fresh pot of tea?...
VERB: V for n
5.
If you say that a place is ~ing with sound, usually pleasant sound, you mean that the place is completely filled with that sound. (LITERARY)
The whole place was ~ing with music.
VERB: V with n
6.
You can use ~ to describe a quality that something such as a statement, discussion, or argument seems to have. For example, if an argument has a familiar ~, it seems familiar.
His proud boast of leading ‘the party of low taxation’ has a hollow ~.
= feel
N-SING: usu a adj N
7.
If you say that someone ~s the changes, you mean that they make changes or improvements to the way something is organized or done.
Ring the changes by adding spices, dried fruit or olives.
PHRASE: V inflects
8.
If you say that someone’s words ~ in your ears or ~ in your head, you mean that you remember them very clearly, usually when you would prefer to forget them. (LITERARY)
She shivered as the sound of that man’s abuse rang in her ears.
PHRASE: V and N inflect
9.
If you give someone a ~, you phone them. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL; in AM, usually use call )
We’ll give him a ~ as soon as we get back.
PHRASE: V inflects
10.
If a statement ~s true, it seems to be true or genuine. If it ~s hollow, it does not seem to be true or genuine.
Joanna’s denial rang true...
The rumpus has made all the optimistic statements about unity and harmony ~ a little hollow.
PHRASE: V inflects
11.
to ~ a bell: see bell
see also ~ing
II. SHAPES AND GROUPS
(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a small circle of metal or other substance that you wear on your finger as jewellery.
...a gold wedding ~.
N-COUNT
2.
An object or substance that is in the shape of a circle can be described as a ~.
Frank took a large ~ of keys from his pocket.
...a ~ of blue smoke.
N-COUNT: usu with supp
3.
A group of people or things arranged in a circle can be described as a ~.
They then formed a ~ around the square.
= circle
N-COUNT: usu with supp
4.
A gas or electric ~ is one of the small flat areas on top of a stove which heat up and which you use for cooking. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use burner )
N-COUNT: usu supp N
5.
At a boxing or wrestling match or a circus, the ~ is the place where the contest or performance takes place. It consists of an enclosed space with seats round it.
He will never again be allowed inside a British boxing ~.
N-COUNT: usu with supp
6.
You can refer to an organized group of people who are involved in an illegal activity as a ~.
Police are investigating the suspected drug ~ at the school.
N-COUNT: usu n N
7.
If a building or place is ~ed with or by something, it is surrounded by it.
The areas are sealed off and ~ed by troops.
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed
8.
If you say that someone runs ~s round you or runs ~s around you, you mean that they are a lot better or a lot more successful than you at a particular activity. (INFORMAL)
Mentally, he can still run ~s round men half his age!
PHRASE: V inflects