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.

---

nose ring British  

noun

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

---

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 young programmer—sporting dreadlocks and a nose ring at the time—was one of Twitter’s co-founders and served as its CEO until 2008, when he was pushed out amid concerns he was distracted by his hobbies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026

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

From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2022

In the Black Magic Comedy Club, a woman with a nose ring floated up to Elite.

From New York Times ● Oct. 7, 2022

She was last seen wearing a black tank top, Dickies pants and piercings and jewelry including a nose ring.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2022

“That’s all right,” Anjali said, smiling with white teeth and sparkly nose ring.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova