I. ˈriŋ noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hring; akin to Old Frisian, Old Saxon, & Old High German hring ring, Old Norse hringr, Crimean Gothic rinck, ringo ring, Umbrian krenkatrum belt, Old Slavic krǫgŭ circle, Latin curvus curved — more at crown
1.
a. : a circular or curved band (as of metal, wood, fabric, or plastic) used for holding, connecting, hanging, or pulling
curtain ring
key ring
towel ring
the ring of a drawer pull
the ring of an anchor
b. : one of the small iron circles used in making chain mail
c. : a usually circular band of metal or other material used for packing or sealing
rubber rings for sealing fruit jars
specifically : piston ring
2.
a. : a circlet of metal or other material often set with a gem that is worn on the finger as an ornament, token, or amulet or for use as a seal
diamond ring
fraternal ring
— see engagement ring , signet ring , wedding ring ; compare band I 6e
b. : a circlet of metal or other material worn as an ornament on any part of the body (as the arm, ankle, toe) — compare earring
3. : the rim or border of a circular object
the ring of the horizon
4.
a. : any circular or continuous round line, figure, or object
coffee cup rings on a table
dog with a ring of white around his neck — F.B.Gipson
smoke rings
ring of scum in a washbasin
b. : an encircling arrangement (as of persons, things, or material)
a ring of suburbs
a ring of encircling hills — G.H.Reed b.1887
surrounded by a wide ring of suspicion — Bradford Smith
c. : a circular or spiral course
run in rings
— often used figuratively in the plural with around and often with run to characterize a performance that easily or greatly surpasses that of a competitor
the mayoral candidate ran rings around his opponent
was always working rings around the boys — R.P.Parsons
a chorus that can dance rings around any other — Time
d. : a circular ripple on the surface of a liquid
e. : ringlet
distracting rings of her hair — Mary Austin
her light curly hair stuck to her forehead in baby rings — Mary J. Ward
5.
a.
(1) : an enclosed often circular or oval space especially for exhibitions (as of riding) or competitions (as races)
stock sales ring
exercise ring
(2) : a structure containing such a ring ; specifically : bullring
b. : a usually circular space in the arena of a circus covered with tanbark or sawdust and used for performances (as of animal trainers and their charges) — see three-ring circus
c. : the occupation of a circus performer — used with the
abandoning the stage for the ring — T.W.Duncan
6.
a. : an enclosure usually about 20 feet square marked by ropes attached to posts at the corners and raised on a platform in which boxers or wrestlers contest ; also : this enclosure together with its supporting platform — see prize ring
b. : prizefighting
fought a few professional bouts only to decide against continuing in the ring — Current Biography
end of his ring career
7. : a cut made into or through the bark and around the trunk or a limb of a tree
8. : one of the ridges increasing in number with age that encircle the horns of cattle
9. : one of three concentric bands usually believed to be composed of meteoric fragments revolving around the planet Saturn
10. rings plural : the cage at masthead for lookout (as on a whaling vessel) — compare crow's nest
11.
a. : annulus 5
b. : growth ring
12.
a. : an enclosure or space devoted to betting at a horse race
b. : those who bet in a ring ; especially : the bookmakers of a ring
13.
a. : an archivolt made up of a half ring of voussoirs
b. : a parallel course of half bricks or other small voussoirs forming a rowlock arch
c. : an encircling architectural element (as a corridor or a series of rooms)
14.
a. : an exclusive combination of persons for a selfish and often corrupt purpose (as to control the market, distribute offices, or obtain contracts)
not a member of the inner party ring — Times Literary Supplement
had the courage to tackle price rings — Seamus Brady
organized rings stealing cars — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union
innocent women were frequently framed by a ring consisting of police officers, stool pigeons, bondsmen and lawyers — Morris Ploscowe
b. : a temporary group of persons working cooperatively : pool
organization of spray rings where a group of growers uses one spraying outfit — Experiment Station Record
15.
a. : a series of buyers and sellers in a produce exchange in which each buyer is the seller in the same amount of the same goods to another buyer so that the entire series of transactions can be settled by ringing out
b. : pit I 1b(9)
16. : the field of a political contest : race
threw his hat into the presidential ring
17. : a circle drawn around a marginal marking on a proof to indicate that the change ordered is not in correction of a printer's error, that the circled writing is a query to the author, or that a circled arabic numeral or abbreviation is to be spelled out
18.
a. : spinning ring
b. : ring spinner
19. : food in the shape of a circle: as
a. : cooked food folded in a circle
noodle ring
ring cake
b. : a long sausage tied together at the ends
Polish ring
20. : water ring
21. : a circle of worked stitches used to form patterns in tatting
22. : an arrangement of atoms represented in formulas or models in a cyclic manner or as a closed chain and commonly consisting of five or six atoms although smaller and also much larger rings are known
carbocyclic and heterocyclic rings
— called also cycle ; compare benzene ring , nucleus 2j, open chain , structural formula
23. chiefly Britain : a band attached (as to the leg of a bird) to identify
24. : a pair of meiotic chromosomes associated end-to-end due to the formation of terminal chiasmata at both ends of the pair
25. : one of a pair of heavy usually leather covered metal circles suspended from the ceiling or a crossbar and used for gymnastic exercise
26. : a round disk of rattan or metal with intertwined thongs used to prevent a ski pole from sinking into the snow
27. Australia : ringer II 4
28. : an aggregate in which addition is commutative, the product of two elements is unique, and multiplication is distributive with respect to addition and associative
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English ringen, from ring, n.
transitive verb
1. : to place or form a ring entirely or nearly around : station or take position around in a ring or cordon : mark by drawing a ring around : encircle
ringed on three sides by mountains — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
a guard was set that he might not flee — a score of bayonets ringed the tree — Rudyard Kipling
a name that has ringed the world — advt
2. : to place a ring on : provide with a ring: as
a. : to put a ring in the nose or around the neck in order to subdue, check, or shackle
hogs ringed to prevent rooting
b. chiefly Britain : to place a ring around the leg of (a bird or animal) to classify or identify : band
3. : to wheel around : run or ride around encircling (as to prevent straying or escape) : move in a circle
eagles sailing round and round them like sheep dogs ringing a flock — Francis Ratcliffe
herders ringing cattle
4. : girdle 3
5. : to throw a ring over (the mark) in a game where rings or other curved objects (as horseshoes) are tossed at a standing or projecting mark
6. : to exhibit or exercise in a ring : introduce into a ring (as at a dog or horse show or a circus)
7. : to settle (a contract) by ringing out
8. : to enter (as a horse or dog) in a contest as a ringer
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to move in a ring
b. : to rise in the air spirally
2. : to form or take the shape of a ring
Synonyms: see surround
•
- ring an anchor
III. verb
( rang ˈraŋ, -aiŋ ; also rung ˈrəŋ ; rung ; ringing ; rings )
Etymology: Middle English ringen, from Old English hringan; akin to Middle Dutch ringen to ring, Old Norse hringja to ring, hrang noise, din, Tocharian B kraṅko cock, Lithuanian krañkti to croak, Sanskrit kruṅ curlew, and perhaps to Old English hræfn raven — more at raven
intransitive verb
1. : to sound clearly and resonantly
the ringing of many bells
the doorbell rang
dense porcelaneous ware usually high fired enough to ring — W.E.Cox
weird ringing voices of veeries — W.P.Smith
2. : to sound loudly and sonorously
cheers rang out
his voice rang with indignation
the trumpet rang
oaths rang across the stable yard — Margaret Kennedy
3.
a. : to be filled with a ringing or reverberating sound : resound , echo
woods rang with the sound of the ax
b. : to have the sensation of being filled with a humming sound
his ears rang
4. : to cause something to ring (as in giving a summons)
ring for breakfast
5. : to engage in bell ringing or making music with bells
6.
a. : to become filled with talk or report
newspapers rang with the unknown author's story — W.E.Smith
the world rang with his fame
their letters ring with sincere praise — advt
b. : to cause much talk : have great renown
his deeds rang through the country
c. : to sound repetitiously : din
their praises rang in our ears
a tune that rings in one's memory
7. : to have a particular sound or character expressive of some quality
a spirited story that rings true in all its incidental details — Frances Gaither
piece of empty heroics, which must ring false from the screen — Lee Rogow
a well-meant effort rang hollow — S.L.A.Marshall
his heroine … is a little too sensitive to ring true — James Yaffe
8. chiefly Britain : to place a telephone call : telephone — usually used with up or through
transitive verb
1. : to cause (a metallic body) to sound especially by striking
the soldier rang each dollar against his bayonet to test the purity of the coin — Nora Waln
specifically : to sound (a church bell) with a full swing from a mouth-up position — compare chime , clock
2. : to make (a sound) by or as if by ringing a bell
the shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums, hath rung night's yawning peal — Shakespeare
3. : to announce or proclaim by or as if by ringing : usher in or out by ringing a bell
ring an alarm
ring in the new year, ring out the old
4. : to repeat often, loudly, or earnestly
ring denunciations
ring the praises of a compatriot
5.
a. : to summon especially by bell
b. chiefly Britain : telephone — usually used with up
6. : to cause (a machine or device) to register : ring up
ring a cash register
ring a time clock
ring a sale
•
- ring a bell
- ring down the curtain
- ring the bell
- ring the changes
- ring up the curtain
IV. noun
( -s )
1. : a set of church bells ; especially : one tuned in scale for change ringing
2. : a clear resonant sound made by or resembling that made by vibrating metals
the ring of a bell
the ring of hammer upon anvil — Elizabeth Goudge
each ring of the telephone filled me with dread — Ralph Ellison
the ring of laughter
3. : resonant tone (as in response to plucking or striking) : sonority
the ring of a glass goblet
the ring of a porcelain dish
the ring of a coin
a voice of ring and warmth — Irving Kolodin
4. : a loud sound : a sound continued, repeated, or reverberated
hear the ring in your ears of wind from the solitude of mountain heights — Alicita & Warren Hamilton
5. : a sound or character (as of speech or writing) expressive of some particular quality
a ring of ardent sincerity in his voice — G.G.Carter
strange circumlocutions that … still have the ring of natural speech — Arthur Knight
such generalizations have the ring of plausibility — Alexander Gerschenkron
scheme has a fantastic ring about it — O.S.Nock
6.
a. : the act or an instance of sounding a bell or similar device
b. : the act or an instance of summoning (as by a bell or buzzer)
c. : a telephone call — often used with give
V.
Scotland
variant of reign
VI. intransitive verb
•
- ring off the hook