ring

1. 1. Also called finger ring. a typically circular band of metal or other durable material, especially 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. a similar band of metal or other durable material worn as an ornament on another part of the body, such as on the toe or in a piercing.
2. anything resembling a band or circle:

   Fluff the napkins and pull them through the napkin rings.

   He lit his cigarette and blew a smoke ring.

   Synonyms: annulus, hoop, circlet, circle

3. a circular or surrounding line or mark:

   After a long, sleepless night, there were dark rings around his eyes.

4. a circular course:

   A group of us kids were playing one of those games where you have to dance in a ring.

5. a number of people or things situated in a circle or in an approximately circular arrangement: a ring of hills;

   a ring of stones;

   a ring of hills;

   a ring of spectators.

6. the outside edge of a circular object; rim:

   When the two coins are compared, there are differences in the color of the brass alloy used for the outer ring.

7. an enclosed area, often circular, as for a sports contest or exhibition:

   a circus ring.

   Synonyms: circle, rink, arena

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:

   It was nearly a year before he recovered from his injuries and was ready to box again, but he's back in the ring tonight.

10. the sport of boxing; prizefighting:

    In the heyday of the ring, fighters could make a living at their sport.

11. (formerly in the United States, now only in Britain) an area in a racetrack where bookmakers take bets.
12. a group of people cooperating for unethical, illicit, or illegal purposes, such as to control stock-market prices, manipulate politicians, or elude the law:

    The police busted a ring of smugglers.

    Synonyms: syndicate, mob, gang, league, confederacy

13. a single turn in a spiral or helix or in a spiral course.
14. Geometry. the area or space between two concentric circles.
15. annual ring ( def ).
16. a circle of bark cut from around a tree.
17. Chemistry. a number of atoms so united that they may be graphically represented in cyclic form. Compare chain ( def 7 ).
18. Architecture. rowlock ( def 1 ).
19. Nautical. 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 a ring-spinning frame ) a circular track of highly polished steel on which the traveler moves and which twists the yarn by variations in its vertical movement.
21. Also called ring gauge. a unit of measurement of the diameter of cigars, equal to 1/64 of an inch.
22. Automotive, Machinery. piston ring ( def ).
23. 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.

1. to surround; encircle:

   The lake is ringed with forest and farmland.

2. to hem in (animals) by riding or circling about them:

   The cowboys ringed the cattle they would be driving to market.

3. girdle ( def 11 ).
4. (in horseshoes, ringtoss, etc.) to encircle (a stake or peg) with a ring, horseshoe, etc.
5. to insert a ring through the nose of (an animal).

1. to form a ring or rings:

   A crowd of onlookers ringed around the man who had fallen.

2. to move in a ring or a constantly curving course:

   The road rings around the mountain.

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, especially as a summons:

   Just ring if you need anything.

4. to sound loudly; be loud or resonant; resound (often followed 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.

1. to cause (a bell or device with a bell) to ring; sound by striking:

   to ring a bell.

2. to produce (sound) by or as if by ringing:

   The bell rang a low tone.

3. 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.

4. to test (a coin or other metal object) by the sound it produces when struck against something.
5. Chiefly British. to telephone.

1. a ringing sound, as of a bell or bells:

   the ring of sleigh bells.

2. a sound or tone likened to the ringing of a bell:

   Rings of laughter issued from the school.

3. any loud sound; sound continued, repeated, or reverberated:

   the ring of iron upon stone.

4. a set or peal of bells.
5. a telephone call:

   Give me a ring tomorrow.

6. an act or instance of ringing a bell:

   No one answered my ring.

7. a characteristic sound, as of a coin.
8. 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.

   Synonyms: quality, tone, sound

verb phrase

1. 1. to indicate one's arrival at work by punching in on a time clock.
   2. Informal. to introduce artfully or fraudulently:

      to ring in an imposter.

2. 1. to terminate a telephone conversation.
   2. British Slang. to stop talking.
   3. British Slang. to go away.
3. 1. to register (the amount of a sale) on a cash register.
   2. to accomplish or record:

      to ring up a series of successes.

   3. Chiefly British. to telephone.
4. 1. to indicate one's departure from work by punching out on a time clock.
   2. to make a sound or noise; resound:

      The church bells rang out.

1. a male given name.