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.
Nearly 60% of Americans aged 12 and up say they tuned into a podcast in the past month, according to Edison Research’s latest Infinite Dial report on digital media consumer behavior.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
The actor recently reprised his iconic role as a swashbuckling archaeologist in the 2023 sequel “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
It's not just dystopian films that are shot in Glasgow - in 2021, star-spangled banners, bunting and vintage shop fronts decorated the streets of Glasgow city centre for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
From BBC • May 9, 2025
He studied guitar with Christopher Rosenberg, harmony, composition and improvisation with Garry Dial and writing with John Pagano.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2024
She still smells like Dial Body Wash. I look at the chart and nod.
From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine
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.
