RING

n. & v. --n. 1 a circular band, usu. of precious metal, worn on a finger as an ornament or a token of marriage or betrothal. 2 a circular band of any material. 3 the rim of a cylindrical or circular object, or a line or band round it. 4 a mark or part having the form of a circular band (had rings round his eyes; smoke rings). 5 = annual ring. 6 a an enclosure for a circus performance, betting at races, the showing of cattle, etc. b (prec. by the) bookmakers collectively. c a roped enclosure for boxing or wrestling. 7 a a group of people or things arranged in a circle. b such an arrangement. 8 a combination of traders, bookmakers, spies, politicians, etc. acting together usu. illicitly for the control of operations or profit. 9 a circular or spiral course. 10 = gas ring. 11 Astron. a a thin band or disc of particles etc. round a planet. b a halo round the moon. 12 Archaeol. a circular prehistoric earthwork usu. of a bank and ditch. 13 Chem. a group of atoms each bonded to two others in a closed sequence. 14 Math. a set of elements with two binary operations, addition and multiplication, the second being distributive over the first and associative. --v.tr. 1 make or draw a circle round. 2 (often foll. by round, about, in) encircle or hem in (game or cattle). 3 put a ring on (a bird etc.) or through the nose of (a pig, bull, etc.). 4 cut (fruit, vegetables, etc.) into rings. øring-binder a loose-leaf binder with ring-shaped clasps that can be opened to pass through holes in the paper. ring circuit an electrical circuit serving a number of power points with one fuse in the supply to the circuit. ring-dove 1 the woodpigeon. 2 the collared dove. ringed plover either of two small plovers, Charadrius hiaticula and C. dubius. ring finger the finger next to the little finger, esp. of the left hand, on which the wedding ring is usu. worn. ring main 1 an electrical supply serving a series of consumers and returning to the original source, so that each consumer has an alternative path in the event of a failure. 2 = ring circuit. ring-neck any of various ring-necked birds esp. a type of pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, with a white neck-ring. ring-necked Zool. having a band or bands of colour round the neck. ring ouzel a thrush, Turdus torquatus, with a white crescent across its breast. ring-pull (of a tin) having a ring for pulling to break its seal. ring road a bypass encircling a town. ring-tailed 1 (of monkeys, lemurs, racoons, etc.) having a tail ringed in alternate colours. 2 with the tail curled at the end. run (or make) rings round colloq. outclass or outwit (another person). øøringed adj. (also in comb.). ringless adj. [OE hring f. Gmc]