Library / English Dictionary

RING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: rang    , rung   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A strip of material attached to the leg of a bird to identify it (as in studies of bird migration)

Synonyms:

band; ring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

slip; strip (artifact consisting of a narrow flat piece of material)

Derivation:

ring (attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A rigid circular band of metal or wood or other material used for holding or fastening or hanging or pulling

Example:

there was still a rusty iron hoop for tying a horse

Synonyms:

hoop; ring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

band (a thin flat strip of flexible material that is worn around the body or one of the limbs (especially to decorate the body))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ring"):

carabiner; karabiner; snap ring (an oblong metal ring with a spring clip; used in mountaineering to attach a rope to a piton or to connect two ropes)

collar (a short ring fastened over a rod or shaft to limit, guide, or secure a machine part)

curtain ring (a circular ring for holding up a curtain)

key ring (a circular ring of metal for holding keys)

napkin ring (a circular band used to hold a particular person's napkin)

nose ring (a ring worn on the nose as an ornament or on the nose of an animal to control it)

rim (the outer part of a wheel to which the tire is attached)

rim ((basketball) the hoop from which the net is suspended)

tire; tyre (hoop that covers a wheel)

towel ring (a circular hoop for holding a towel)

Holonyms ("ring" is a part of...):

wagon wheel (a wheel of a wagon)

barrel; cask (a cylindrical container that holds liquids)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Jewelry consisting of a circlet of precious metal (often set with jewels) worn on the finger

Example:

he noted that she wore a wedding band

Synonyms:

band; ring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

jewellery; jewelry (an adornment (as a bracelet or ring or necklace) made of precious metals and set with gems (or imitation gems))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ring"):

engagement ring (a ring given and worn as a sign of betrothal)

mourning ring (a ring worn as a memorial to a dead person)

ringlet (a small ring)

seal ring; signet ring (a ring bearing a signet)

wedding band; wedding ring (a ring (usually plain gold) given to the bride (and sometimes one is also given to the groom) at the wedding)

Derivation:

ring (attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A platform usually marked off by ropes in which contestants box or wrestle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

platform (a raised horizontal surface)

Meronyms (parts of "ring"):

canvas; canvass (the mat that forms the floor of the ring in which boxers or professional wrestlers compete)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ring"):

boxing ring; prize ring (a square ring where boxers fight)

sumo ring (the circular ring in which Sumo wrestlers compete)

wrestling ring (a square ring in which wrestlers compete)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A characteristic sound

Example:

it has the ring of sincerity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

sound (the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause)

Derivation:

ring (ring or echo with sound)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The sound of a bell ringing

Example:

the tintinnabulation that so voluminously swells from the ringing and the dinging of the bells

Synonyms:

ring; ringing; tintinnabulation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ring"):

bell ringing (the sound of someone playing a set of bells)

Derivation:

ring (get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone)

ring (sound loudly and sonorously)

ring (make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification)

Sense 7

Meaning:

An association of criminals

Example:

a pack of thieves

Synonyms:

gang; mob; pack; ring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

association (a formal organization of people or groups of people)

Meronyms (members of "ring"):

gangster; mobster (a criminal who is a member of gang)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ring"):

youth gang (a gang whose members are teenagers)

nest (a gang of people (criminals or spies or terrorists) assembled in one locality)

Holonyms ("ring" is a member of...):

gangdom; gangland; organized crime (underworld organizations)

Sense 8

Meaning:

(chemistry) a chain of atoms in a molecule that forms a closed loop

Synonyms:

closed chain; ring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

chain; chemical chain ((chemistry) a series of linked atoms (generally in an organic molecule))

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ring"):

heterocycle; heterocyclic ring (a ring of atoms of more than one kind; especially a ring of carbon atoms containing at least one atom that is not carbon)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A toroidal shape

Example:

a halo of smoke

Synonyms:

anchor ring; annulus; doughnut; halo; ring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("ring" is a kind of...):

toroid (the doughnut-shaped object enclosed by a torus)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ring"):

fairy circle; fairy ring (a ring of fungi marking the periphery of the perennial underground growth of the mycelium)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone

Example:

Take two aspirin and call me in the morning

Synonyms:

call; call up; phone; ring; telephone

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "ring" is one way to...):

telecommunicate (communicate over long distances, as via the telephone or e-mail)

"Ring" entails doing...:

dial (operate a dial to select a telephone number)

Verb group:

call (send a message or attempt to reach someone by radio, phone, etc.; make a signal to in order to transmit a message)

Domain category:

telephone; telephony (transmitting speech at a distance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ring"):

cell phone (call up by using a cellular phone)

call in (make a phone call)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence examples:

Sam cannot ring Sue

They ring

Derivation:

ring (the sound of a bell ringing)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify

Example:

band the geese to observe their migratory patterns

Synonyms:

band; ring

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "ring" is one way to...):

attach (cause to be attached)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

ring (jewelry consisting of a circlet of precious metal (often set with jewels) worn on the finger)

ring (a strip of material attached to the leg of a bird to identify it (as in studies of bird migration))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle

Example:

The forest surrounds my property

Synonyms:

border; environ; ring; skirt; surround

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "ring" is one way to...):

adjoin; contact; meet; touch (be in direct physical contact with; make contact)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ring"):

cloister (surround with a cloister, as of a garden)

hem in (surround in a restrictive manner)

close in; enclose; inclose; shut in (surround completely)

cloister (surround with a cloister)

gird; girdle (put a girdle on or around)

fringe (decorate with or as if with a surrounding fringe)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Sound loudly and sonorously

Example:

the bells rang

Synonyms:

peal; ring

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "ring" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ring"):

ding; dingdong; dong (go 'ding dong', like a bell)

tintinnabulate (ring or sound like a small bell)

peal (ring recurrently)

knell (ring as in announcing death)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Also:

ring out (sound loudly)

Derivation:

ring; ringing (the sound of a bell ringing)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification

Example:

My uncle rings every Sunday at the local church

Synonyms:

knell; ring

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "ring" is one way to...):

sound (cause to sound)

Cause:

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ring"):

toll (ring slowly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

ring (the sound of a bell ringing)

ringer (a person who rings church bells (as for summoning the congregation))

ringing (the sound of a bell ringing)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Ring or echo with sound

Example:

the hall resounded with laughter

Synonyms:

echo; resound; reverberate; ring

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "ring" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ring"):

consonate (sound in sympathy)

reecho (repeat or return an echo again or repeatedly; send (an echo) back)

reecho (echo repeatedly, echo again and again)

bong (ring loudly and deeply)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

The woods ring with many kinds of birds

Derivation:

ring (a characteristic sound)

ringing (having the character of a loud deep sound; the quality of being resonant)

Credits

 Context examples: 

I knocked gently and rang as quietly as possible, for I feared to disturb Lucy or her mother, and hoped to only bring a servant to the door.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The warning-bell will ring at nine; the family take breakfast at half past nine.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

When he broke through into the ring, Beauty Smith was just in the act of delivering another kick.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

He received the word as if it had a familiar ring, though he pondered it thoughtfully.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

It was his particular direction that we should always, when he rang, leave his meal upon a chair, outside his door.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The great bell of Beaulieu was ringing.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Cries and confusion, the flashes and reports of pistol-shots, and one loud groan rang in my ears.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

The rings, in turn, detect those movements in the field.

(Scientists Finally Know What Time It Is on Saturn, NASA)

It may result in the formation of constriction rings around the digits and upper and lower extremities, swelling of the extremities and congenital amputations.

(Amniotic Band Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

Morphologically, it is characterized by the presence of mucin-containing signet-ring cells.

(Ampulla of Vater Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)