ring

[ ring ]

/ rɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ring ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), rang, rung, ring·ing.

to give forth a clear resonant sound, as a bell when struck: The doorbell rang twice.

to make a given impression on the mind; appear: words that rang false; a story that rings true.

to cause a bell or bells to sound, especially as a summons: Just ring if you need anything.

to sound loudly; be loud or resonant; resound (often followed by out): His brave words rang out.

to be filled with sound; reecho with sound, as a place.

(of the ears) to have the sensation of a continued humming sound.

Chiefly British. to telephone.

verb (used with object), rang, rung, ring·ing.

to cause (a bell or device with a bell) to ring; sound by striking: to ring a bell.

to produce (sound) by or as if by ringing: The bell rang a low tone.

to announce or proclaim, usher in or out, summon, signal, etc., by or as if by the sound of a bell: to ring someone's praises; The bell rang the hour.

to test (a coin or other metal object) by the sound it produces when struck against something.

Chiefly British. to telephone.

noun

a ringing sound, as of a bell or bells: the ring of sleigh bells.

a sound or tone likened to the ringing of a bell: Rings of laughter issued from the school.

any loud sound; sound continued, repeated, or reverberated: the ring of iron upon stone.

a set or peal of bells.

a telephone call: Give me a ring tomorrow.

an act or instance of ringing a bell: No one answered my ring.

a characteristic sound, as of a coin.

the aspect or impression presented by a statement, an action, etc., taken as revealing a specified inherent quality: a ring of assurance in her voice; the ring of truth; a false ring.

Verb Phrases

ring in,

to indicate one's arrival at work by punching in on a time clock.
Informal. to introduce artfully or fraudulently: to ring in an imposter.

ring off,

to terminate a telephone conversation.
British Slang. to stop talking.
British Slang. to go away.

ring out,

to indicate one's departure from work by punching out on a time clock.
to make a sound or noise; resound: The church bells rang out.

ring up,

to register (the amount of a sale) on a cash register.
to accomplish or record: to ring up a series of successes.
Chiefly British. to telephone.

Nearby words

rind, rinderpest, rinehart, rinehart, mary roberts, rinforzando, ring, ring a bell, ring abscess, ring back, ring binder, ring buoy

Idioms

ring a bell. bell¹(def 15).

ring down the curtain,

to direct that the curtain of a theater be lowered or closed.
to lower or close the curtain in front of a stage.

ring down the curtain on, to bring to an end: The accident rang down the curtain on his law career.

ring the/someone's bell. bell¹(def 16).

ring the changes. change(def 39).

ring up the curtain,

to direct that the curtain of a theater be raised or opened.
to raise or open the curtain in front of a stage.

ring up the curtain on, to begin; inaugurate; initiate: The $100-a-plate dinner rang up the curtain on the hospital's fund-raising drive.

Origin of ring

before 900; Middle English ringen, Old English hringan; cognate with Old Norse hringja, German ringen

SYNONYMS FOR ring

20 sound, tone, quality.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ring ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsring·ing·ly, adverbring·ing·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for ring in (1 of 3)

ring in

verb (adverb)

(intr) mainly British to report to someone by telephone

(tr) to accompany the arrival of with bells (esp in the phrase ring in the new year)

(tr) Australian to substitute (a horse) fraudulently for another horse in a race

(tr) Australian and NZ informal to recruit or include (a person)

noun ring-in

Australian informal a horse that serves as a substitute

Australian and NZ informal a person or thing that is not normally a member of a particular group; outsider

British Dictionary definitions for ring in (2 of 3)

ring

/ (rɪŋ) /

noun

a circular band usually of a precious metal, esp gold, often set with gems and worn upon the finger as an adornment or as a token of engagement or marriage

any object or mark that is circular in shape

a circular path or courseto run around in a ring

a group of people or things standing or arranged so as to form a circlea ring of spectators

an enclosed space, usually circular in shape, where circus acts are performed

a square apron or raised platform, marked off by ropes, in which contestants box or wrestle

the ring the sport of boxing

the field of competition or rivalry

throw one's hat in the ring to announce one's intention to be a candidate or contestant

a group of people usually operating illegally and covertlya drug ring; a paedophile ring

(esp at country fairs) an enclosure, often circular, where horses, cattle, and other livestock are paraded and auctioned

an area reserved for betting at a racecourse

a circular strip of bark cut from a tree or branch, esp in order to kill it

a single turn in a spiral

geometry the area of space lying between two concentric circles

maths a set that is subject to two binary operations, addition and multiplication, such that the set is an Abelian group under addition and is closed under multiplication, this latter operation being associative

botany short for annual ring

Also called: closed chain chem a closed loop of atoms in a molecule

astronomy any of the thin circular bands of small bodies orbiting a giant planet, esp SaturnSee also Saturn 2 (def. 1)

run rings around informal to be greatly superior to; outclass completely

verb rings, ringing or ringed (tr)

to surround with or as if with or form a ring; encircle

to mark (a bird) with a ring or clip for subsequent identification

to fit a ring in the nose of (a bull, pig, etc) so that it can be led easily

Also: ringbark

to cut away a circular strip of bark from (a tree or branch) in order to kill it
to cut a narrow or partial ring from (the trunk of a tree) in order to check or prevent vigorous growth

Australian and NZ to be the fastest shearer in a shearing shed (esp in the phrase ring the shed)

Word Origin for ring

Old English hring; related to Old Norse hringr

British Dictionary definitions for ring in (3 of 3)

ring

/ (rɪŋ) /

verb rings, ringing, rang or rung

to emit or cause to emit a sonorous or resonant sound, characteristic of certain metals when struck

to cause (a bell) to emit a ringing sound by striking it once or repeatedly or (of a bell) to emit such a sound

(tr) to cause (a large bell, esp a church bell) to emit a ringing sound by pulling on a rope that is attached to a wheel on which the bell swings back and forth, being sounded by a clapper inside itCompare chime 1 (def. 6)
(intr) (of a bell) to sound by being swung in this way

(intr) (of a building, place, etc) to be filled with sound; echothe church rang with singing

(intr foll by for) to call by means of a bell, buzzer, etcto ring for the butler

Also: ring up mainly British to call (a person) by telephone

(tr) to strike or tap (a coin) in order to assess its genuineness by the sound produced

(intr) (of the ears) to have or give the sensation of humming or ringing

(intr) electronics (of an electric circuit) to produce a damped oscillatory wave after the application of a sharp input transition

slang to change the identity of (a stolen vehicle) by using the licence plate, serial number, etc, of another, usually disused, vehicle

ring a bell to sound familiar; remind one of something, esp indistinctly

ring down the curtain

to lower the curtain at the end of a theatrical performance
(foll by on) to put an end (to)

ring false to give the impression of being false

ring the bell

to do, say, or be the right thing
to reach the pinnacle of success or happiness

ring the changes to vary the manner or performance of an action that is often repeated

ring true to give the impression of being truethat story doesn't ring true

noun

the act of or a sound made by ringing

a sound produced by or suggestive of a bell

any resonant or metallic sound, esp one sustained or re-echoedthe ring of trumpets

informal, mainly British a telephone callhe gave her a ring last night

the complete set of bells in a tower or belfrya ring of eight bells See peal 1 (def. 3)

an inherent quality or characteristichis explanation has the ring of sincerity

electronics the damped oscillatory wave produced by a circuit that rings

See also ring back, ring in, ring off, ring out, ring up

Word Origin for ring

Old English hringan; related to Old High German hringen Old Norse hringja

usage

Rang and sang are the correct forms of the past tenses of ring and sing, although rung and sung are still heard informally and dialectally: he rung (rang) the bell

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

Word Origin and History for ring in (1 of 4)

ring

n.1

"circular band," Old English hring "small circlet, especially one of metal for wearing on the finger or as part of a mail coat; anything circular," from Proto-Germanic *khrengaz (cf. Old Norse hringr, Old Frisian hring, Danish, Swedish, Dutch ring, Old High German hring, German Ring), literally "something curved," from PIE *skrengh- nasalized form of (s)kregh-, from root *(s)ker- "to turn, bend," with wide-ranging derivative senses (cf. Latin curvus "bent, curved," crispus "curly;" Old Church Slavonic kragu "circle," and perhaps Greek kirkos "ring," koronos "curved").

Other Old English senses were "circular group of persons," also "horizon." Meaning "place for prize fight and wrestling bouts" (early 14c.) is from the space in a circle of bystanders in the midst of which such contests once were held, "... a circle formed for boxers, wrestlers, and cudgel players, by a man styled Vinegar; who, with his hat before his eyes, goes round the circle, striking at random with his whip to prevent the populace from crowding in" [Grose, 1788]. Meaning "combination of interested persons" is from 1829. Of trees, from 1670s; fairy ring is from 1620s. Ring finger is Old English hringfingr, a compound found in other Germanic languages. To run rings round (someone) "be superior to" is from 1891.

Nursery rhyme ring a ring a rosie is attested in an American form (with a different ending) from c.1790. "The belief that the rhyme originated with the Great Plague is now almost universal, but has no evidence to support it and is almost certainly nonsense" ["Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore"]. This proposal of connection dates only to the late 1960s.

Word Origin and History for ring in (1 of 4)

ring

v.1

"sound a bell," Old English hringan "sound, give a certain resonant sound when struck; announce by bells," from Proto-Germanic *khrenganan (cf. Old Norse hringja, Swedish ringa, Middle Dutch ringen), probably of imitative origin. Related: Rang; rung. Originally a weak verb, strong inflexion began in early Middle English by influence of sing, etc. To ring down a theatrical curtain is from 1772, from the custom of signaling for it by ringing a bell. To ring up a purchase on a cash register is by 1937, from the bell that sounded. Specialized sense "give a resonant sound when struck as an indication of genuineness or purity," with transferred use (e.g. to ring hollow) is from 1610s.

Word Origin and History for ring in (2 of 4)

ring

v.2

"make a circle around," Old English ymbhringan, from the root of ring (n.1). Intransitive sense "gather in a ring" is mid-15c. Sense of "provide or attach a ring" is late 14c. Meaning "move in a circle around" is from 1825. Related: Ringed; ringing. Cf. Frisian ringje, Middle Dutch and Dutch ringen, Old High German ringan, German ringen, Old Norse hringa, hringja.

Word Origin and History for ring in (3 of 4)

ring

n.2

1540s, "set of church bells," from ring (v.1). Meaning "a call on the telephone" is from 1900; to give (someone) a ring "call on the telephone" was in use by 1910. Meaning "a ringing tone" is from 1620s; specifically "the ringing sound made by a telephone" by 1951. Meaning "resonance of coin or glass as a test of genuineness" is from 1850, with transferred use (ring of truth, etc.).

Medicine definitions for ring in

ring

[ rĭng ]

n.

A circular object, form, or arrangement with a vacant circular center.

The area between two concentric circles; annulus.

A group of atoms linked by bonds that may be represented graphically in circular or triangular form.

Science definitions for ring in

ring

[ rĭng ]

A set of elements subject to the operations of addition and multiplication, in which the set is an abelian group under addition and associative under multiplication and in which the two operations are related by distributive laws.

A group of atoms linked by bonds that may be represented graphically in circular or triangular form. Benzene, for example, contains a ring of six carbon atoms. All cyclic compounds contain one or more rings. See annulus.

See growth ring.

Idioms and Phrases with ring in

ring

In addition to the idioms beginning with ring

ring a bell
ring down the curtain on
ring false
ring one's chimes
ringside seat
ring the changes
ring true
ring up

also see:

brass ring
give someone a ring
have a familiar ring
run rings around
three-ring circus
throw one's hat in the ring

ring

verb (used without object), rang, rung, ring·ing.

verb (used with object), rang, rung, ring·ing.