ring 1
— ringless , adj. — ringlike , adj.
/ring/ , n. , v. , ringed, ringing .
n.
1. a typically circular band of metal or other durable material, esp. one of gold or other precious metal, often set with gems, for wearing on the finger as an ornament, a token of betrothal or marriage, etc.
2. anything having the form of such a band: a napkin ring; a smoke ring.
3. a circular or surrounding line or mark: dark rings around the eyes.
4. a circular course: to dance in a ring.
5. a number of persons or things situated in a circle or in an approximately circular arrangement: a ring of stones; a ring of hills.
6. the outside edge of a circular body, as a wheel; rim.
7. an enclosed area, often circular, as for a sports contest or exhibition: a circus ring.
8. a bullring.
9. an enclosure in which boxing and wrestling matches take place, usually consisting of a square, canvas-covered platform with surrounding ropes that are supported at each corner by posts.
10. the sport of boxing; prizefighting: the heyday of the ring.
11. (formerly in the U.S., now only in Brit.) an area in a racetrack where bookmakers take bets.
12. a group of persons cooperating for unethical, illicit, or illegal purposes, as to control stock-market prices, manipulate politicians, or elude the law: a ring of dope smugglers.
13. a single turn in a spiral or helix or in a spiral course.
14. Geom. the area or space between two concentric circles.
15. See annual ring .
16. a circle of bark cut from around a tree.
17. Chem. a number of atoms so united that they may be graphically represented in cyclic form. Cf. chain (def. 7).
18. Archit. rowlock (def. 1).
19. a bowlike or circular piece at the top of an anchor, to which the chain or cable is secured. See diag. under anchor .
20. Also called spinning ring . Textiles. (in the ring-spinning frame) a circular track of highly polished steel on which the traveler moves and which imparts twists to the yarn by variations in its vertical movement.
21. a unit of measurement of the diameter of cigars, equal to 1/64 of an inch. Also called ring gauge .
22. Auto. , Mach. See piston ring .
23. Math. a set that is closed under the operations of addition and multiplication and that is an Abelian group with respect to addition and an associative semigroup with respect to multiplication and in which the distributive laws relating the two operations hold.
24. run rings around , to be obviously superior to; surpass; outdo: As an artist, she can run rings around her brother.
25. throw or toss one's hat in or into the ring . See hat (def. 7).
v.t.
26. to surround with a ring; encircle.
27. to form into a ring.
28. to insert a ring through the nose of (an animal).
29. to hem in (animals) by riding or circling about them.
30. to girdle (def. 11).
31. (in horseshoes, ringtoss, etc.) to encircle (a stake or peg) with a ring, horseshoe, etc.
v.i.
32. to form a ring or rings.
33. to move in a ring or a constantly curving course: The road rings around the mountain.
[ bef. 900; ME; OE hring; c. D, G ring, ON hringr; akin to RANK 1 ]
Syn. 2. circle, circlet, hoop; annulus. 7. arena, rink, circle. 12. bloc, coterie, confederacy, league; gang, mob, syndicate. RING, CLIQUE are terms applied with disapproving connotations to groups of persons. RING suggests a small and intimately related group, combined for selfish and often dishonest purposes: a gambling ring. A CLIQUE is a small group that prides itself on its congeniality and exclusiveness: cliques in a school.
ring 2
— ringingly , adv. — ringingness , n.
/ring/ , v. , rang, rung, ringing , n.
v.i.
1. to give forth a clear resonant sound, as a bell when struck: The doorbell rang twice.
2. to make a given impression on the mind; appear: words that rang false; a story that rings true.
3. to cause a bell or bells to sound, esp. as a summons: Just ring if you need anything.
4. to sound loudly; be loud or resonant; resound (often fol. by out ): His brave words rang out.
5. to be filled with sound; reecho with sound, as a place.
6. (of the ears) to have the sensation of a continued humming sound.
7. Chiefly Brit. to telephone.
v.t.
8. to cause (a bell or device with a bell) to ring; sound by striking: to ring a bell.
9. to produce (sound) by or as if by ringing: The bell rang a low tone.
10. to announce or proclaim, usher in or out, summon, signal, etc., by or as if by the sound of a bell: to ring someone's praises; The bell rang the hour.
11. to test (a coin or other metal object) by the sound it produces when struck against something.
12. Chiefly Brit. to telephone.
13. ring a bell . See bell 1 (def. 10).
14. ring down the curtain ,
a. to direct that the curtain of a theater be lowered or closed.
b. to lower or close the curtain in front of a stage.
15. ring down the curtain on , to bring to an end: The accident rang down the curtain on his law career.
16. ring in ,
a. to indicate one's arrival at work by punching in on a time clock.
b. Informal. to introduce artfully or fraudulently: to ring in an imposter.
17. ring off ,
a. to terminate a telephone conversation.
b. Brit. Slang. to stop talking.
c. Brit. Slang. to go away.
18. ring out ,
a. to indicate one's departure from work by punching out on a time clock.
b. to make a sound or noise; resound: The church bells rang out.
19. ring the bell . See bell 1 (def. 11).
20. ring the changes . See change (def. 38).
21. ring up ,
a. to register (the amount of a sale) on a cash register.
b. to accomplish or record: to ring up a series of successes.
c. Chiefly Brit. to telephone.
22. ring up the curtain ,
a. to direct that the curtain of a theater be raised or opened.
b. to raise or open the curtain in front of a stage.
23. ring up the curtain on , to begin; inaugurate; initiate: The $100-a-plate dinner rang up the curtain on the hospital's fund-raising drive.
n.
24. a ringing sound, as of a bell or bells: the ring of sleigh bells.
25. a sound or tone likened to the ringing of a bell: Rings of laughter issued from the school.
26. any loud sound; sound continued, repeated, or reverberated: the ring of iron upon stone.
27. a set or peal of bells.
28. a telephone call: Give me a ring tomorrow.
29. an act or instance of ringing a bell: No one answered my ring.
30. a characteristic sound, as of a coin.
31. the aspect or impression presented by a statement, an action, etc., taken as revealing a specified inherent quality: a ring of assurance in her voice; the ring of truth; a false ring.
[ bef. 900; ME ringen, OE hringan; c. ON hringja, G ringen ]
Syn. 31. sound, tone, quality.