nose ring

American  

noun

• nose rings
  plural

1. a ring inserted in the nose of an animal, to facilitate leading it.

2. a ring worn as an ornament in the nose.

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nose ring British  

noun

1. a ring fixed through the nose, as for leading a bull

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nose rings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nose ring

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nose ring

The guy with the nose ring who decides goats, chickens, pigs and other livestock belong in his grandmother’s yard in suburban Indiana, to the despair of the genteel retirees across the street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026

Reyes, who has a bee-sized tattoo below his eye and a nose ring, nods respectfully.

From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2022

But Hamilton's nose ring, which he says he cannot take out, is not.

From BBC ● May 7, 2022

Karthoum Dembele, a 19-year-old midfielder who wears a nose ring, also said she had to confront her mother to be allowed to play.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2022

She tells her about the dozen foster homes and the nose ring and the argument with Dina and finding out on the Internet that her mother’s in jail.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline