ping

[ ping ]

/ pɪŋ /

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verb (used without object)

to produce a sharp sound like that of a bullet striking a sheet of metal.

verb (used with object)

Computers. to send an echo-request packet to (an IP address) and use the echo reply to determine whether another computer on the network is operational and the speed at which the data is being transferred.

to make contact with (someone) by sending a brief electronic message, as a text message: The design team should ping marketing to set up a meeting next week.Ping me when you arrive, and I’ll meet you at the door.

noun

a pinging sound.

an infrasonic or ultrasonic sound wave created by sonar in echolocation.

an acoustic signal transmitted to indicate a location: Rescue crews were able to follow the ping and locate the flight recorder.

Computers. an echo-request and echo-reply protocol that tests a connection online or in a network by sending a packet to a host IP address and measuring the round-trip speed of data transfer.

one of the possible sounds made by an electronic or mobile device to signal the receipt of data, as a phone or text message.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of ping

First recorded in 1850–55; imitative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ping in a sentence

Whether you’re the competitive spiking type or a casual rally kind of person, ping pong is the ideal sport for players of all ages and abilities.
Advanced tables to enhance your ping pong game|PopSci Commerce Team|February 5, 2021|Popular-Science
The farther two teams are away from each other, the higher the ping and the greater the potential for lag — a delayed response time from a stroke on a keyboard to the game.
Overwatch League wants to ‘level-up’ online matches, tournaments for 2021 season|Teddy Amenabar|January 14, 2021|Washington Post
Some have even turned drinking alcohol into a game that involves ping pong balls and cups.
Study: Smoking bans saved countless lives — could they have increased drunk driving?|Jerusalem Demsas|December 24, 2020|Vox
The messages travel long distances far faster and more cost effectively than similar pings over copper wires, which underpin conventional landline phones and cable hookups.
An inside look at how fiber optic glass is made|Stan Horaczek|December 24, 2020|Popular-Science

When I looked at her photo, a ping went off in my brain, the kind that happens when you meet someone for the first time but you feel that you’ve met them before.
Aileen Wuornos Killed. I Knew Her. And I Know Why|Eugene Robinson|November 10, 2020|Ozy
I was complying with two charity tweets that my diary alarm pinged me to make.
Stephen Fry V Peter Hitchens: Feud Reignites After Journalist Accuses Him Of Not Writing His Own Tweets|Tom Sykes|September 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Suddenly the back of her dress pinged open and she stopped, eyes wild.
Is This the Next Idol?|Venetia Thompson|October 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
A shot pinged through the air, and the glass fell from Paddy's fingers as he tumbled in a grotesque heap on the floor.
The Long Dim Trail|Forrestine C. Hooker
The scouts took care of most of the trouble, though a few shots pinged against the truck Gordon was driving.
Police Your Planet|Lester del Rey
We were now within range of the enemy's rifle fire and heard spent bullets as they pinged and spluttered into the mud.
A Soldier's Sketches Under Fire|Harold Harvey
To cap all, our passenger broke into song, and we just dropped in time as the bullets pinged over us.
"Over There" with the Australians|R. Hugh Knyvett
The bullet pinged off it, and they saw that it had failed even to dent the glistening surface.
The Secret of the Ninth Planet|Donald Allen Wollheim

British Dictionary definitions for ping

ping

/ (pɪŋ) /

noun

a short high-pitched resonant sound, as of a bullet striking metal or a sonar echo

computing a system for testing whether internet systems are responding and how long in milliseconds it takes them to respond

verb

(intr) to make such a noise

(tr) computing to send a test message to (a computer or server) in order to check whether it is responding or how long it takes it to respond

Derived forms of ping

pinging, adjective

Word Origin for ping

C19: of imitative origin

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

ping

Origin of ping

Words related to ping

How to use ping in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ping

Derived forms of ping

Word Origin for ping