a plate, disk, face, or other surface containing markings or figures upon which the time of day is indicated by hands, pointers, or shadows, as of a clock or sundial.
a plate or disk with markings or figures for indicating or registering some measurement or number, as of pressure, number of revolutions, the frequency to which a radio is tuned, etc., usually by means of a pointer.
a rotatable plate, disk, or knob used for regulating a mechanism, making and breaking electrical connections, etc., as in tuning a radio or television station in or out.
Also called rotary dial. a rotatable plate or disk on a telephone, fitted with finger holes that are marked with letters or numbers, used in making calls through an automatic switchboard.
any mechanism on the face of a telephone by which the caller places a call, as push buttons.
Also called miner's dial. Mining. a compass used for underground surveying.
to enter or input (a number) on a telephone, as by means of a touchscreen, push buttons, or a rotary dial.
I dialed your work number by mistake.
to make a telephone call to.
You can dial the Telehealth hotline for advice from a nurse.
to regulate, select, or tune in by means of a dial, as on a radio.
She reached over to dial an FM station.
to indicate or register on or as if on a dial.
to measure with or as if with a dial.
to enter or input a number on a telephone, as by means of a touchscreen, push buttons, or a rotary dial.
I keep dialing, but she's not picking up.
to use a dial to regulate or make a selection.
Dial through the program settings on the washer to find the one that suits your load.
dial up
to obtain, reach, or contact by telephone.
Now's your chance to dial up Chicago and do some business.
to access a computer, the internet, or another network by dialing a telephone number.
to increase the level of; intensify.
I used cayenne, garlic, oregano, thyme, and pepper to dial up the flavor.
dial down to reduce the level of; diminish.
Such open threats of military action make it more difficult to dial down tensions.
dialect.
dialectal.
dialectic.
dialectical.
the face of a watch, clock, chronometer, sundial, etc, marked with divisions representing units of time
the circular graduated disc of various measuring instruments
the control on a radio or television set used to change the station or channel
the panel on a radio on which the frequency, wavelength, or station is indicated by means of a pointer
a numbered disc on a telephone that is rotated a set distance for each digit of a number being called
a miner's compass for surveying in a mine
a slang word for face
to establish or try to establish a telephone connection with (a subscriber or his number) by operating the dial on a telephone
(tr) to indicate, measure, or operate with a dial
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English dial, diel,dyal “instrument for telling time by the sun's shadow,” from Old French dyal, from Medieval Latin diālis “daily” ( Latin di(ēs) ) “day” + -ālis adjective suffix; cf. -al 1)
A dial is a circle that has a series of numbers or marks representing numbers, like the dial of a clock face, a compass, or an old-fashioned telephone. If you have a watch that glows in the dark, it's the dial you can see even in a dark movie theater. Old telephones and televisions both have dials — the first has numbers from zero to nine in a circle, and the latter has a round disc for changing channels. When you call someone, you can say that you dial their number. In fact, people tend to use the word dial when they use a phone, even if they're pushing buttons or tapping a touch screen. The Latin root is dialis, "daily," and the earliest dial was a sundial.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A traditional copper line carries power over the line, so even if the power is out at your house and you pick up the phone, you’ll have a dial tone, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Or maybe both sides are already trying to dial things back.
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026
They used a tablet to dial into a video call led by Justin Trudeau.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
When you leave the house, dial it even higher and cool the home only when you return.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
Each evening, when Donovan arrived back in West Berlin, he would dial a phone number and announce, "Jim D. is back."
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
“I’ve been talking to this guy every day! I’ve got him on speed dial. We’re so glad to see you.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2017
When Dad showed concern that I’d be in the woods by myself, I wiggled my cell phone and said, “I’ve got you on speed dial. Plus, I know those trails better than anyone.”
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
“Pick up the phone and dial. If you’ve forgotten how, we’ll be happy to show you.”
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
Rone, rōn, n. the gutter which collects the rain from the roof—a dial. form of rine.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
O. N. banna, to swear, to curse, banna, a curse, Norse banna, to swear, banning, swearing, W. Sw. dial. bænn id.,
From Scandinavian influence on Southern Lowland Scotch by Flom, George Tobias
Extend an arm without a slight bend and it can lock straight out until the trainer dials down the machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
Part of that included disposing of glowing dials, which were made using radium-226.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
It also immediately dials up pressure on the White House from consumers and businesses who are seeking payback.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 20, 2026
Inside an abandoned control room at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a worker in an orange hardhat gazed at a grey wall of seemingly endless dials, screens and gauges that were supposed to prevent disaster.
From Barron's ● Dec. 26, 2025
Gives one of the dials a slow turn.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Now under intense public scrutiny, Marx has dialed back some of his more grandiose claims.
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
Andrew Burstein’s “Being Thomas Jefferson” is a biography with the history dialed down, concentrating on Jefferson’s thoughts, personality, relationships and milieu.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Then, hoping to avoid any urgent diaper events, I ducked into the next room and dialed up the president.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
The stock could bounce back if beef prices fall or if operational spending is dialed back.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
He was dialed into the day-to-day demands of his life, but at the same time, especially at night, his thoughts seemed to roam a much wider plane.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
The economy had been set for a rebound this year on the back of hefty government spending, but forecasts have been dialled back due to the conflict.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
In recent years though, the communist authorities in Vietnam have dialled down the anti-Chinese rhetoric, and worked hard to build closer relations with Beijing.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
When the support worker arrived at the flat she dialled 999 after seeing that Thea was cold, not making any sounds and looked an "awful colour".
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
"Apollo Go, are you paralysed?" one person wrote on social media, alongside a video of unanswered calls to the company dialled from an in-car tablet.
From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026
I dialled his number and listened to his voice when he picked up, at first soft with sleep, and then louder, wary, worried, exasperated.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
It seems daunting dialing in that depth and breadth within “The Pitt’s” hour-by-hour format.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The country is dialing back operations at the plants that turn crude oil into feedstock for materials such as plastics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
That’s why Haigh and his team at SocGen now expect “market normalization” in mid-May, dialing back from their prior expectations for April.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
Further dialing down of tensions that allow for more shipments to pass through the Strait of Hormuz is a positive for Asian economies reliant on exports of chemicals and energy from the region.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
She had wondered as she was dialing Minerva what Jaimito would do when he came home and found his wife and his pickup missing.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
This gives the heart a bigger job of pumping it around the body and it copes by dialling up the blood pressure - a bit like cranking the tap on a garden hose pipe.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Anyone becoming unwell with symptoms of meningitis or sepsis should seek medical help urgently at the closest Accident and Emergency Department or by dialling 999.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Anyone becoming unwell with symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia should seek medical help urgently at the closest Accident and Emergency Department or by dialling 999.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Saturday she believed US President Donald Trump still desires to own Greenland despite dialling back his recent threats to seize it by force.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
When he had finished dialling, he picked up his handkerchief from the desk and put it over the mouthpiece, quite loosely and mounted rather high.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
