ring Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a characteristic sound
    • it has the ring of sincerity
  2. noun a toroidal shape
    annulus; anchor ring; doughnut; halo.
    • a ring of ships in the harbor
    • a halo of smoke
  3. noun a rigid circular band of metal or wood or other material used for holding or fastening or hanging or pulling
    hoop.
    • there was still a rusty iron hoop for tying a horse
  4. noun (chemistry) a chain of atoms in a molecule that forms a closed loop
    closed chain.
  5. noun an association of criminals
    mob; gang; pack.
    • police tried to break up the gang
    • a pack of thieves
  6. noun the sound of a bell ringing
    tintinnabulation; ringing.
    • the distinctive ring of the church bell
    • the ringing of the telephone
    • the tintinnabulation that so voluminously swells from the ringing and the dinging of the bells"--E. A. Poe
  7. noun a platform usually marked off by ropes in which contestants box or wrestle
  8. noun jewelry consisting of a circlet of precious metal (often set with jewels) worn on the finger
    band.
    • she had rings on every finger
    • he noted that she wore a wedding band
  9. noun a strip of material attached to the leg of a bird to identify it (as in studies of bird migration)
    band.
  10. verb sound loudly and sonorously
    peal.
    • the bells rang
  11. verb ring or echo with sound
    reverberate; echo; resound.
    • the hall resounded with laughter
  12. verb make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification
    knell.
    • Ring the bells
    • My uncle rings every Sunday at the local church
  13. verb get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone
    phone; call; telephone; call up.
    • I tried to call you all night
    • Take two aspirin and call me in the morning
  14. verb extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle
    skirt; border; environ; surround.
    • The forest surrounds my property
  15. verb attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify
    band.
    • ring birds
    • band the geese to observe their migratory patterns

WordNet

Ring transitive verb
Etymology
AS. hringan; akin to Icel. hringja, Sw. ringa, Dan. ringe, OD. ringhen, ringkelen.
Wordforms
imperfect Rang or Rung ; past participle Rung; present participle & verbal noun Ringing
Definitions
  1. To cause to sound, especially by striking, as a metallic body; as, to ring a bell.
  2. To make (a sound), as by ringing a bell; to sound.
    The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums, Hath rung night's yawning peal. Shak.
  3. To repeat often, loudly, or earnestly.
Ring intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To sound, as a bell or other sonorous body, particularly a metallic one.
    Now ringen trompes loud and clarion. Chaucer.
    Why ring not out the bells? Shak.
  2. To practice making music with bells. Holder.
  3. To sound loud; to resound; to be filled with a inging or reverberating sound.
    With sweeter notes each rising temple rung. Pope.
    The hall with harp and carol rang. Tennyson.
    My ears still ring with noise. Dryden.
  4. To continue to sound or vibrate; to resound.
    The assertion is still ringing in our ears. Burke.
  5. To be filled with report or talk; as, the whole town rings with his fame.
Ring noun
Definitions
  1. A sound; especially, the sound of vibrating metals; as, the ring of a bell.
  2. Any loud sound; the sound of numerous voices; a sound continued, repeated, or reverberated.
    The ring of acclamations fresh in his ears. Bacon
  3. A chime, or set of bells harmonically tuned.
    As great and tunable a ring of bells as any in the world. Fuller.
Ring noun
Etymology
AS. hring, hrinc; akin to Fries. hring, D. & G. ring, OHG. ring, hring, Icel. hringr, DAn. & SW. ring; cf. Russ. krug'. Cf. Harangue, Rank a row,Rink.
Definitions
  1. A circle, or a circular line, or anything in the form of a circular line or hoop.
  2. Specifically, a circular ornament of gold or other precious material worn on the finger, or attached to the ear, the nose, or some other part of the person; as, a wedding ring.
    Upon his thumb he had of gold a ring. Chaucer.
    The dearest ring in Venice will I give you. Shak.
  3. A circular area in which races are or run or other sports are performed; an arena.
    Place me. O, place me in the dusty ring, Where youthful charioteers contened for glory. E. Smith.
  4. An inclosed space in which pugilists fight; hence, figuratively, prize fighting. "The road was an institution, the ring was an institution." Thackeray.
  5. A circular group of persons.
    And hears the Muses in a Aye round about Jove's alter sing. Milton.
  6. (Geom.) (a) The plane figure included between the circumferences of two concentric circles. (b) The solid generated by the revolution of a circle, or other figure, about an exterior straight line (as an axis) lying in the same plane as the circle or other figure.
  7. (Astron. & Navigation) An instrument, formerly used for taking the sun's altitude, consisting of a brass ring suspended by a swivel, with a hole at one side through which a solar ray entering indicated the altitude on the graduated inner surface opposite.
  8. (Bot.) An elastic band partly or wholly encircling the spore cases of ferns. See Illust. of Sporangium.
  9. A clique; an exclusive combination of persons for a selfish purpose, as to control the market, distribute offices, obtain contracts, etc.
    The ruling ring at Constantinople. E. A. Freeman.
Ring transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Ringed ; present participle & verbal noun Ringing
Definitions
  1. To surround with a ring, or as with a ring; to encircle. "Ring these fingers." Shak.
  2. (Hort.) To make a ring around by cutting away the bark; to girdle; as, to ring branches or roots.
  3. To fit with a ring or with rings, as the fingers, or a swine's snout.
Ring intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. (Falconry) To rise in the air spirally.

Webster 1913