dial

¹ American  

[dahy-uhl, dahyl] / ˈdaɪ əl, daɪl /

noun

1. a plate, disk, face, or other surface containing markings or figures upon which the time of day is indicated by hands, pointers, or shadows, as of a clock or sundial.

2. a plate or disk with markings or figures for indicating or registering some measurement or number, as of pressure, number of revolutions, the frequency to which a radio is tuned, etc., usually by means of a pointer.

3. a rotatable plate, disk, or knob used for regulating a mechanism, making and breaking electrical connections, etc., as in tuning a radio or television station in or out.

4. Also called rotary dial.  a rotatable plate or disk on a telephone, fitted with finger holes that are marked with letters or numbers, used in making calls through an automatic switchboard.

5. any mechanism on the face of a telephone by which the caller places a call, as push buttons.

6. Also called miner's dial.  Mining. a compass used for underground surveying.

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verb (used with object)

dialed, dialing, dialled, dialling

1. to enter or input (a number) on a telephone, as by means of a touchscreen, push buttons, or a rotary dial.

   I dialed your work number by mistake.

2. to make a telephone call to.

   You can dial the Telehealth hotline for advice from a nurse.

3. to regulate, select, or tune in by means of a dial, as on a radio.

   She reached over to dial an FM station.

4. to indicate or register on or as if on a dial.

5. to measure with or as if with a dial.

verb (used without object)

dialed, dialing, dialled, dialling

1. to enter or input a number on a telephone, as by means of a touchscreen, push buttons, or a rotary dial.

   I keep dialing, but she's not picking up.

2. to use a dial to regulate or make a selection.

   Dial through the program settings on the washer to find the one that suits your load.

adjective

1. (of a telephone) having a rotary dial mechanism.

verb phrase

1. dial up

   1. to obtain, reach, or contact by telephone.

      Now's your chance to dial up Chicago and do some business.

   2. to access a computer, the internet, or another network by dialing a telephone number.

   3. to increase the level of; intensify.

      I used cayenne, garlic, oregano, thyme, and pepper to dial up the flavor.

2. dial down to reduce the level of; diminish.

   Such open threats of military action make it more difficult to dial down tensions.

dial. ² American  

abbreviation

1. dialect.

2. dialectal.

3. dialectic.

4. dialectical.

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dial ¹ British  

/ daɪl, ˈdaɪəl /

noun

1. the face of a watch, clock, chronometer, sundial, etc, marked with divisions representing units of time

2. the circular graduated disc of various measuring instruments

3. 1. the control on a radio or television set used to change the station or channel

   2. the panel on a radio on which the frequency, wavelength, or station is indicated by means of a pointer

4. a numbered disc on a telephone that is rotated a set distance for each digit of a number being called

5. a miner's compass for surveying in a mine

6. a slang word for face

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verb

1. to establish or try to establish a telephone connection with (a subscriber or his number) by operating the dial on a telephone

2. (tr) to indicate, measure, or operate with a dial

dial. ² British  

abbreviation

1. dialect(al)

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Other Word Forms

• dialler noun
• undialed adjective
• undialled adjective

Etymology

Origin of dial

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English dial, diel,dyal “instrument for telling time by the sun's shadow,” from Old French dyal, from Medieval Latin diālis “daily” ( Latin di(ēs) ) “day” + -ālis adjective suffix; -al ¹ )

Explanation

A dial is a circle that has a series of numbers or marks representing numbers, like the dial of a clock face, a compass, or an old-fashioned telephone. If you have a watch that glows in the dark, it's the dial you can see even in a dark movie theater. Old telephones and televisions both have dials — the first has numbers from zero to nine in a circle, and the latter has a round disc for changing channels. When you call someone, you can say that you dial their number. In fact, people tend to use the word dial when they use a phone, even if they're pushing buttons or tapping a touch screen. The Latin root is dialis, "daily," and the earliest dial was a sundial.

Example Sentences

An OpenAI spokesperson said the company is giving priority to growth over profits, and could dial back spending on training but expects a strong return on investment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

However, the market’s more attractive valuations lately have hinged on Wall Street’s unwillingness to dial back earnings expectations.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The cooling spell will allow March to go out like a lamb, but the heat will quickly dial back up.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

They want to impose compulsory physical attendance and voting, doing away with the current "hybrid" arrangement dating from the pandemic which lets members dial in remotely.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Someone on the phone kept saying to me, “If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and dial again.”

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola