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.
Geometry. the area or space between two concentric circles.
a bowlike or circular piece at the top of an anchor, to which the chain or cable is secured.
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.
Mathematics. 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.
–verb (used with object)
24.
to surround with a ring; encircle.
25.
to form into a ring.
26.
to insert a ring through the nose of (an animal).
27.
to hem in (animals) by riding or circling about them.
(in horseshoes, ringtoss, etc.) to encircle (a stake or peg) with a ring, horseshoe, etc.
–verb (used without object)
30.
to form a ring or rings.
31.
to move in a ring or a constantly curving course: The road rings around the mountain.
—Idioms
32.
run rings around, to be obviously superior to; surpass; outdo: As an artist, she can run rings around her brother.
33.
throw or toss one's hat in or into the ring. hat(def. 8).
[Origin: bef. 900; ME; OE hring; c. D, G ring, ON hringr; akin to rank1]
—Related forms
ringless, adjective
ringlike, adjective
—Synonyms 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.
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 British. to telephone.
–verb (used with object)
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 British. to telephone.
–noun
13.
a ringing sound, as of a bell or bells: the ring of sleigh bells.
14.
a sound or tone likened to the ringing of a bell: Rings of laughter issued from the school.
15.
any loud sound; sound continued, repeated, or reverberated: the ring of iron upon stone.
16.
a set or peal of bells.
17.
a telephone call: Give me a ring tomorrow.
18.
an act or instance of ringing a bell: No one answered my ring.
19.
a characteristic sound, as of a coin.
20.
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.
—Verb phrases
21.
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.
22.
ring off,
a.
to terminate a telephone conversation.
b.
BritishSlang. to stop talking.
c.
BritishSlang. to go away.
23.
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.
24.
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.
A circular object, form, line, or arrangement with a vacant circular center.
A small circular band, generally made of precious metal and often set with jewels, worn on the finger.
A circular band used for carrying, holding, or containing something: a napkin ring.
ringsSports A pair of circular metal bands suspended in the air for gymnastic exercises, on which balancing and swinging maneuvers are performed while holding the bands as motionless as possible.
A circular movement or course, as in dancing.
An enclosed, usually circular area in which exhibitions, sports, or contests take place: a circus ring.
Sports
A rectangular arena set off by stakes and ropes in which boxing or wrestling events are held.
The sport of boxing.
An enclosed area in which bets are placed at a racetrack.
Bookmakers considered as a group.
Games
An enclosed area in which bets are placed at a racetrack.
Bookmakers considered as a group.
An exclusive group of people acting privately or illegally to advance their own interests: a drug ring.
A political contest; a race.
Botany An annual ring.
Mathematics The area between two concentric circles; annulus.
Mathematics A set of elements subject to the operations of addition and multiplication, in which the set is an abelian group under addition and associative under multiplication and in which the two operations are related by distributive laws.
Any of the turns constituting a spiral or helix.
Chemistry A group of atoms linked by bonds that may be represented graphically in circular or triangular form. Also called closed chain.
v.
ringed, ring·ing, rings
v.
tr.
To surround with or as if with a ring; encircle. See Synonyms at surround.
To form into a ring or rings.
To ornament or supply with a ring or rings: ringed the door knocker with a wreath of holly.
To remove a circular strip of bark around the circumference of (a tree trunk or branch); girdle.
To put a ring in the nose of (an animal).
To hem in (animals) by riding in a circle around them.
Games To toss a ring over (a peg), as in horseshoes.
v.
intr.
To form a ring or rings.
To move, run, or fly in a spiral or circular course.
[Middle English, from Old English hring; see sker-2 in Indo-European roots.]
O.E. hring "circular band," from P.Gmc. *khrengaz (cf. O.N. hringr, O.Fris. hring, Ger. Ring), lit. "something curved," from PIE base *(s)ker- "to turn, bend" (cf. L. curvus "bent, curved," crispus "curly;" O.C.S. kragu "circle," and perhaps Gk. kirkos "ring," koronos "curved"). Meaning "place for prize fight and wrestling bouts" (c.1330) is from the space in a circle of bystanders in which such contests were once held (ringside is attested from 1866). Meaning "combination of interested persons" is from 1829. The verb meaning "to make a circle around" is O.E. ymbhringan. The circus ringmaster is recorded from 1873. Tree ring is from 1671; fairy ring is from 1626. Nursery rhyme ring a ring a rosie, is attested in an American form (with a different ending) from c.1790. "The belief that the rhyme originated with the Great Plague is now almost universal, but has no evidence to support it and is almost certainly nonsense" ["Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore"]. This connection only dates to the 1960s.
"sound a bell," O.E. hringan, from P.Gmc. *khrenganan (cf. O.N. hringja, Swed. ringa, M.Du. ringen), probably of imitative origin. To give (someone) a ring "call on the telephone" was in use by 1910. To ring down a theatrical curtain is from 1772, from the custom of signaling for it by ringing a bell.
a characteristic sound; "it has the ring of sincerity"
2.
a toroidal shape; "a ring of ships in the harbor"; "a halo of smoke"
3.
a rigid circular band of metal or wood or other material used for holding or fastening or hanging or pulling; "there was still a rusty iron hoop for tying a horse" [syn: hoop]
4.
(chemistry) a chain of atoms in a molecule that forms a closed loop [syn: closed chain] [ant: open chain]
5.
an association of criminals; "police tried to break up the gang"; "a pack of thieves" [syn: gang]
6.
the sound of a bell ringing; "the distinctive ring of the church bell"; "the ringing of the telephone"; "the tintinnabulation that so voluminously swells from the ringing and the dinging of the bells"--E. A. Poe
7.
a platform usually marked off by ropes in which contestants box or wrestle
8.
jewelry consisting of a circlet of precious metal (often set with jewels) worn on the finger; "she had rings on every finger"; "he noted that she wore a wedding band"
9.
a strip of material attached to the leg of a bird to identify it (as in studies of bird migration) [syn: band]
verb
1.
sound loudly and sonorously; "the bells rang"
2.
ring or echo with sound; "the hall resounded with laughter" [syn: resound]
3.
make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification; "Ring the bells"; "My uncle rings every Sunday at the local church"
4.
get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone; "I tried to call you all night"; "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning" [syn: call]
5.
extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle; "The forest surrounds my property" [syn: surround]
6.
attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify; "ring birds"; "band the geese to observe their migratory patterns"
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Audio Help [ring] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, ringed, ring·ing.