Main Entry:

¹ring

Pronunciation:

\ˈriŋ\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English hring; akin to Old High German hring ring, Old Church Slavic krǫgŭ circle

Date:

before 12th century

1: a circular band for holding, connecting, hanging, pulling, packing, or sealing <a key ring> <a towel ring>2: a circlet usually of precious metal worn especially on the finger3 a: a circular line, figure, or object <smoke ring> b: an encircling arrangement <a ring of suburbs> c: a circular or spiral course —often used figuratively in plural in the phrase run rings around to describe surpassing an opponent decisively4 a (1): an often circular space especially for exhibitions or competitions ; especially : such a space at a circus (2): a structure containing such a ring b: a square enclosure in which a fighting contest (as a boxing or wrestling match) takes place5: a band of small objects revolving around a planet (as Saturn) and composed of dust and icy or rocky fragments6: annual ring7 a: an exclusive combination of persons for a selfish and often corrupt purpose (as to control a market) <a wheat ring> b: gang8: the field of a political contest : race9: food in the shape of a circle10: an arrangement of atoms represented in formulas or models in a cyclic manner —called also cycle11: a set of mathematical elements that is closed under two binary operations of which the first forms a commutative group with the set and the second is associative over the set and is distributive with respect to the first operation12plural a: a pair of usually rubber-covered metal rings suspended from a ceiling or crossbar to a height of approximately eight feet above the floor and used for hanging, swinging, and balancing feats in gymnastics b: an event in gymnastics competition in which the rings are used13: ¹boxing <ended his ring career>

— ring·like \ˈriŋ-līk\ adjective