ring

intransitive verb rang or Now Chiefly Dial.rung, rung, ringing

1. to give forth a clear, resonant sound when struck or otherwise caused to vibrate, as a bell
2. to produce, as by sounding, a specified impression on the hearer: promises that ring false
3. to cause a bell or bells to sound, esp. as a summons: to ring for a maid
4. to sound loudly or be full of sound; be resonant; resound: the room rang with laughter
5. to have a sensation as of ringing, humming, etc.: said of the ears or head

Origin: ME ringen < OE hringan < IE echoic base *ker- > raven, creak, L corvus, crow

transitive verb

1. to cause (a bell, etc.) to ring
2. to sound (a peal, knell, etc.) by or as by ringing a bell or bells
3. to signal, proclaim, announce, summon, etc. by or as by ringing: chimes rang the hours
4. to test (coins, etc.) by the sound produced in striking on something hard
5. Chiefly Brit. to call by telephone: often with up
6. Slang to substitute (originally a racehorse) fraudulently: often with in

noun

1. the sound of a bell
2. 1. any similar sound: the ring of laughter
   2. any loud sound, esp. when repeated, continued, or reverberated
3. the characteristic sound or impression (of some feeling): the ring of sincerity
4. a set of bells
5. the act of ringing a bell, etc.
6. a telephone call: chiefly in , to telephone someone

noun

1. a small, circular band of metal, etc., esp. of precious metal, often set with gems, for wearing on the finger as an ornament or a symbol of betrothal, marriage, etc.
2. any similar band, as of metal, plastic, etc., used for some special purpose: a key ring, a napkin ring
3. a circular line, mark, or figure
4. the outer edge or border of something circular; rim, as of a wheel
5. a circular cut made, or a circle of bark cut from, around the trunk or a branch of a tree
6. annual ring
7. any of the turns in a helix or spiral
8. a circular course, as in dancing
9. a number of people or things grouped in a circle
10. ☆ a group of people working together to advance their own interests, esp. by questionable or illegal manipulation and control, as in business, politics, etc.
11. an enclosed area, often circular, for contests, exhibitions, etc.: a circus ring
12. 1. an enclosure, now usually a square, canvas-covered area set off by stakes and ropes, in which boxing and wrestling matches are held
    2. the sport or profession of boxing; prizefighting: with the
    3. Gym. two wooden rings suspended from a ceiling, used for acrobatic feats and routines: usually with the
    4. Gym. a competitive event in which the rings are used: usually with the
13. a contest or competition, esp. a political one, as in throw one's hat into the ring
14. Astron. a flat, thin, reflective band of orbiting particles, probably ice crystals and dust, encircling a planet, as Saturn or Uranus, along its equatorial plane at altitudes below the Roche limit
15. Chem. closed chain
16. Geom. the space between two concentric circles
17. Math. a set of elements that has two operations, addition and multiplication, and the properties of being a commutative group under addition, of being closed and associative under multiplication and addition, and in which multiplication is distributive over addition

Origin: ME < OE hring, akin to OHG, ON hringr, Du ring, Goth *hrings < IE *(s)krengh- < base *(s)ker-, to turn, bend > Gr kirkos, ring, L cortina, round vessel

transitive verb ringed, ringing

1. to surround or encircle with or as with a ring
2. to form into a ring or rings
3. to furnish with a ring or rings
4. to put a ring through the nose of (an animal), as to prevent rooting or fighting
5. to circle about and so hem in (animals)
6. in some games, to toss a ring, horseshoe, quoit, etc. so that it encircles (a peg)
7. to girdle (a tree)

intransitive verb

1. to form in a ring or rings
2. to move in a circular or curving course; run, fly, etc. in circles or spirals