Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Dial
1.
An instrument, formerly much used for showing the time of day from the shadow of a style or gnomon on a graduated arc or surface; esp., a sundial; but there are lunar and astral dials. The style or gnomon is usually parallel to the earth’s axis, but the dial plate may be either horizontal or vertical.
2.
The graduated face of a timepiece, on which the time of day is shown by pointers or hands.
3.
A miner's compass.
Dial bird
(Zool.)
, an Indian bird (
– Copsychus saularius
), allied to the European robin. The name is also given to other related species. Dial lock
, a lock provided with one or more plates having numbers or letters upon them. These plates must be adjusted in a certain determined way before the lock can be operated.
– Dial plate
, the plane or disk of a dial or timepiece on which lines and figures for indicating the time are placed.
Di′al
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Dialed
or Dialled
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Dialing
or Dialling
.] 1.
To measure with a dial.
Hours of that true time which is
dialed
in heaven. Talfourd.
2.
(Mining)
To survey with a dial.
Raymond.
Webster 1828 Edition
Dial
DIAL
,Noun.
Definition 2024
dial
dial
See also: dial.
English
Detail of a dial (graduated circular scale with a needle)
Noun
dial (plural dials)
A dial (disk with finger holes) on a Swiss telephone
- A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
- A clock face.
- A sundial.
- A panel on a radio etc showing wavelengths or channels; a knob that is turned to change the wavelength etc.
- A disk with finger holes on a telephone; used to select the number to be called.
- (Britain, dated) A person's face.
- 1960: At the sound of the old familiar voice he spun around with something of the agility of a cat on hot bricks, and I saw that his dial, usually cheerful, was contorted with anguish, as if he had swallowed a bad oyster. (P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter IX)
- A miner's compass.
Translations
graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves
clock face
sundial
|
disk with finger holes on a telephone
Verb
dial (third-person singular simple present dials, present participle dialing or dialling, simple past and past participle dialed or dialled)
- (transitive) To measure or indicate something with a dial.
- (transitive) To control or select something with a dial
- (transitive) To select a number, or to call someone, on a telephone.
- (intransitive) To use a dial or a telephone.
Translations
To measure or indicate something with a dial
To select a number, or to call someone, on a telephone
То read (a clock)
|
Usage notes
- Dialing and dialed are more common in the US. Dialling and dialled are more common in the UK.
Derived terms
Anagrams
Welsh
Etymology
Cognate with Cornish dyal and Old Irish dígal.
Pronunciation
- (North Wales) IPA(key): /ˈdi.al/
- (South Wales) IPA(key): /ˈdiː.al/
Noun
dial m (plural dialau or dialon)
Mutation
| Welsh mutation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
| dial | ddial | nial | unchanged |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | |||
References
- “dial” in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru.