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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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of nose ring

First recorded in 1780–90


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“We’ve been a party for over 50 years and we’ve never gotten a single federal candidate elected,” said Weir, who describes himself as a “punk/alternative guy” with tattoos and a nose ring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

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

From Salon ● Nov. 9, 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

Hamilton, the driver who wears most jewellery out of the car, said that when in it he only wore "earrings and nose ring, which I can't remove".

From BBC ● May 6, 2022

“Get out!” the guy with the nose ring snarled, coming at them.

From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon

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