ring

¹

[ ring ]

noun

1. 1. Also called finger ring. a typically circular band of metal or other durable material, especially one of gold or other precious metal, often set with gems, for wearing on the finger as an ornament, a token of betrothal or marriage, etc.
   2. a similar band of metal or other durable material worn as an ornament on another part of the body, such as on the toe or in a piercing.
2. anything resembling a band or circle:

   Fluff the napkins and pull them through the napkin rings.

   He lit his cigarette and blew a smoke ring.

   Synonyms: annulus, hoop, circlet, circle

3. a circular or surrounding line or mark:

   After a long, sleepless night, there were dark rings around his eyes.

4. a circular course:

   A group of us kids were playing one of those games where you have to dance in a ring.

5. a number of people or things situated in a circle or in an approximately circular arrangement: a ring of hills;

   a ring of stones;

   a ring of hills;

   a ring of spectators.

6. the outside edge of a circular object; rim:

   When the two coins are compared, there are differences in the color of the brass alloy used for the outer ring.

7. an enclosed area, often circular, as for a sports contest or exhibition:

   a circus ring.

   Synonyms: circle, rink, arena

8. a bullring.
9. an enclosure in which boxing and wrestling matches take place, usually consisting of a square, canvas-covered platform with surrounding ropes that are supported at each corner by posts:

   It was nearly a year before he recovered from his injuries and was ready to box again, but he's back in the ring tonight.

10. the sport of boxing; prizefighting:

    In the heyday of the ring, fighters could make a living at their sport.

11. (formerly in the United States, now only in Britain) an area in a racetrack where bookmakers take bets.
12. a group of people cooperating for unethical, illicit, or illegal purposes, such as to control stock-market prices, manipulate politicians, or elude the law:

    The police busted a ring of smugglers.

    Synonyms: syndicate, mob, gang, league, confederacy

13. a single turn in a spiral or helix or in a spiral course.
14. Geometry. the area or space between two concentric circles.
15. annual ring ( def ).
16. a circle of bark cut from around a tree.
17. Chemistry. a number of atoms so united that they may be graphically represented in cyclic form. Compare chain ( def 7 ).
18. Architecture. rowlock ( def 1 ).
19. Nautical. a bowlike or circular piece at the top of an anchor, to which the chain or cable is secured.
20. Also called spinning ring. Textiles. (in a ring-spinning frame ) a circular track of highly polished steel on which the traveler moves and which twists the yarn by variations in its vertical movement.
21. Also called ring gauge. a unit of measurement of the diameter of cigars, equal to 1/64 of an inch.
22. Automotive, Machinery. piston ring ( def ).
23. Mathematics. a set that is closed under the operations of addition and multiplication and that is an Abelian group with respect to addition and an associative semigroup with respect to multiplication and in which the distributive laws relating the two operations hold.

verb (used with object)

, ringed, ring·ing.

1. to surround; encircle:

   The lake is ringed with forest and farmland.

2. to hem in (animals) by riding or circling about them:

   The cowboys ringed the cattle they would be driving to market.

3. girdle ( def 11 ).
4. (in horseshoes, ringtoss, etc.) to encircle (a stake or peg) with a ring, horseshoe, etc.
5. to insert a ring through the nose of (an animal).

verb (used without object)

, ringed, ring·ing.

1. to form a ring or rings:

   A crowd of onlookers ringed around the man who had fallen.

2. to move in a ring or a constantly curving course:

   The road rings around the mountain.

ring

²

[ ring ]

verb (used without object)

, rang, rung, ring·ing.

1. to give forth a clear resonant sound, as a bell when struck:

   The doorbell rang twice.

2. to make a given impression on the mind; appear:

   words that rang false; a story that rings true.

3. to cause a bell or bells to sound, especially as a summons:

   Just ring if you need anything.

4. to sound loudly; be loud or resonant; resound (often followed by out ):

   His brave words rang out.

5. to be filled with sound; reecho with sound, as a place.
6. (of the ears) to have the sensation of a continued humming sound.
7. Chiefly British. to telephone.

verb (used with object)

, rang, rung, ring·ing.

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

   to ring a bell.

2. to produce (sound) by or as if by ringing:

   The bell rang a low tone.

3. 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.

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

noun

1. a ringing sound, as of a bell or bells:

   the ring of sleigh bells.

2. a sound or tone likened to the ringing of a bell:

   Rings of laughter issued from the school.

3. any loud sound; sound continued, repeated, or reverberated:

   the ring of iron upon stone.

4. a set or peal of bells.
5. a telephone call:

   Give me a ring tomorrow.

6. an act or instance of ringing a bell:

   No one answered my ring.

7. a characteristic sound, as of a coin.
8. 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.

   Synonyms: quality, tone, sound

verb phrase

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

      to ring in an imposter.

2. 1. to terminate a telephone conversation.
   2. British Slang. to stop talking.
   3. British Slang. to go away.
3. 1. to register (the amount of a sale) on a cash register.
   2. to accomplish or record:

      to ring up a series of successes.

   3. Chiefly British. to telephone.
4. 1. to indicate one's departure from work by punching out on a time clock.
   2. to make a sound or noise; resound:

      The church bells rang out.

Ring

³

[ ring ]

noun

1. a male given name.

ring

¹

/ rɪŋ /

verb

1. to emit or cause to emit a sonorous or resonant sound, characteristic of certain metals when struck
2. to cause (a bell) to emit a ringing sound by striking it once or repeatedly or (of a bell) to emit such a sound
3. 1. 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 it Compare chime 1
   2. intr (of a bell) to sound by being swung in this way
4. intr (of a building, place, etc) to be filled with sound; echo

   the church rang with singing

5. intrfoll byfor to call by means of a bell, buzzer, etc

   to ring for the butler

6. Alsoring up to call (a person) by telephone
7. tr to strike or tap (a coin) in order to assess its genuineness by the sound produced
8. intr (of the ears) to have or give the sensation of humming or ringing
9. intr electronics (of an electric circuit) to produce a damped oscillatory wave after the application of a sharp input transition
10. slang.
    to change the identity of (a stolen vehicle) by using the licence plate, serial number, etc, of another, usually disused, vehicle
11. ring a bell
    to sound familiar; remind one of something, esp indistinctly
12. ring down the curtain
    1. to lower the curtain at the end of a theatrical performance
    2. foll by on to put an end (to)
13. ring false
    to give the impression of being false
14. ring the bell
    1. to do, say, or be the right thing
    2. to reach the pinnacle of success or happiness
15. ring the changes
    to vary the manner or performance of an action that is often repeated
16. ring true
    to give the impression of being true

    that story doesn't ring true

noun

1. the act of or a sound made by ringing
2. a sound produced by or suggestive of a bell
3. any resonant or metallic sound, esp one sustained or re-echoed

   the ring of trumpets

4. informal.
   a telephone call

   he gave her a ring last night

5. the complete set of bells in a tower or belfry See peal 1

   a ring of eight bells

6. an inherent quality or characteristic

   his explanation has the ring of sincerity

7. electronics the damped oscillatory wave produced by a circuit that rings

ring

²

/ rɪŋ /

noun

1. 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
2. any object or mark that is circular in shape
3. a circular path or course

   to run around in a ring

4. a group of people or things standing or arranged so as to form a circle

   a ring of spectators

5. an enclosed space, usually circular in shape, where circus acts are performed
6. a square apron or raised platform, marked off by ropes, in which contestants box or wrestle
7. the ring
   the sport of boxing
8. the field of competition or rivalry
9. throw one's hat in the ring
   to announce one's intention to be a candidate or contestant
10. a group of people usually operating illegally and covertly

    a drug ring

    a paedophile ring

11. (esp at country fairs) an enclosure, often circular, where horses, cattle, and other livestock are paraded and auctioned
12. an area reserved for betting at a racecourse
13. a circular strip of bark cut from a tree or branch, esp in order to kill it
14. a single turn in a spiral
15. geometry the area of space lying between two concentric circles
16. 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
17. botany short for annual ring
18. Also calledclosed chain chem a closed loop of atoms in a molecule
19. astronomy any of the thin circular bands of small bodies orbiting a giant planet, esp Saturn See also Saturn 2
20. run rings around informal.
    to be greatly superior to; outclass completely

verb

1. to surround with or as if with or form a ring; encircle
2. to mark (a bird) with a ring or clip for subsequent identification
3. to fit a ring in the nose of (a bull, pig, etc) so that it can be led easily
4. Alsoringbark
   1. to cut away a circular strip of bark from (a tree or branch) in order to kill it
   2. to cut a narrow or partial ring from (the trunk of a tree) in order to check or prevent vigorous growth
5. to be the fastest shearer in a shearing shed (esp in the phrase ring the shed )

ring

/ rĭng /

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. See annulus
4. See growth ring

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

Other Words From

• ring·less adjective
• ring·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ring¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hring; cognate with Dutch, German ring, Old Norse hringr; akin to rank ¹

Origin of ring²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ring¹

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

Origin of ring²

Old English hring ; related to Old Norse hringr

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. ring down the curtain on, to bring to an end:

   The accident rang down the curtain on his law career.

2. ring down the curtain,
   1. to direct that the curtain of a theater be lowered or closed.
   2. to lower or close the curtain in front of a stage.
3. 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.

4. ring up the curtain,
   1. to direct that the curtain of a theater be raised or opened.
   2. to raise or open the curtain in front of a stage.
5. run rings around, to be obviously superior to; surpass; outdo:

   As an artist, she can run rings around her brother.

6. ring a bell. bell ¹( def 16 ).
7. ring the changes. change ( def 39 ).
8. ring the / someone's bell. bell ¹( def 17 ).
9. throw / toss one's hat in the ring. hat ( def 8 ).

More idioms and phrases containing ring

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

Synonym Study

Ring, clique are terms applied with disapproving connotations to groups of persons. Ring suggests a small and intimately related group, combined for selfish and often dishonest purposes: a gambling ring. A clique is a small group that prides itself on its congeniality and exclusiveness: cliques in a school.

Example Sentences

Wearable technology — smartwatches, smart rings, fitness trackers and the like — monitors body-centric data such as your heart rate, steps taken and calories burned, and may record where you go along the way.

From Los Angeles Times

For example, in a field of cells, the scientists could create a pattern of green fluorescent rings emanating from a central point.

From Science Daily

A mum with kids requiring refrigerated medicines for cancer rang up with her voice cracking because she could not afford her £5 prepayment top-up and asked to be put onto a credit direct debit.

From BBC

For years, successive European governments have attempted to crack down on the smuggling ring here by giving money and logistical support to Turkish police and coastguard.

From BBC

"If the crust starts to get too dark, I swear by a ring of foil wrapped around the crust to protect it. You can keep them and reuse them many times too."

From Salon

Related Words

• band
• camp
• cartel
• circle
• gang
• organization
• pool
• racket
• syndicate