dial

1 of 3

noun

di·​al ˈdī(-ə)l How to pronounce dial (audio)
1
: the face of a sundial
2
obsolete : timepiece
3
: the graduated face of a timepiece
4
a
: a face upon which some measurement is registered usually by means of graduations and a pointer
the thermometer dial reads 70°F
b
: a device that may be operated to make electrical connections or to regulate the operation of a machine
a radio dial
a telephone dial

dial

2 of 3

verb

dialed or dialled; dialing or dialling

transitive verb

1
: to measure with a dial
2
a
: to manipulate a device (such as a dial) so as to operate, regulate, or select
dial your favorite program
dialed the wrong number
b
: call sense 1m(1)
dialed the office

intransitive verb

1
: to manipulate a dial
2
: to make a telephone call or connection

dial

3 of 3

abbreviation

Examples of dial in a Sentence

Noun the dial of a pressure gauge I had to keep adjusting the radio dial to make the station come in clearly. Verb I'm sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number. dialed 911 and asked for the police
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Other interior highlights include ambient lighting, piano-key shifter and a crystal-look volume dial. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 Lee also has another variation of the watch with a black dial. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 Her Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 Reine timepiece in white gold is adorned with diamonds and features a mother-of-pearl dial. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The timepiece, which first launched in 1994, is offered in a range of patterns and finishes but Murphy went with the pine green dial and matching leather strap. Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 The unit's multiple mist settings are easily adjusted with the front dial, and the 360-degree nozzle allows users to direct the mist at all angles to cover a wider area without physically moving the device. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 Before time zones, people used other methods of telling time like sun dials and water clocks. Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The Black & Green Bronze diver asserts its presence on the wrist with a commanding 42mm bronze case, harmoniously complemented by a green anodized aluminum bezel insert and an teal-green matte dial. Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The unique combination, housed in an 18-karat gold case with an aventurine dial and rose guilloche subdials, is arrestingly beautiful while ringing every bell. Nancy Hass, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
A little more than two hours later, Crumbley learned there was a shooting at the school and dialed 911, explaining that a gun was missing from the home and that he and his wife had been called to the school that morning. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Dozens of people dialed into the remote-watching option via Google Meet, a reflection of the high interest in the Coyotes’ saga. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 The friend found Miller unresponsive, thrust naloxone — the opioid overdose reversal medication — up his nose and dialed 911. Katie Bain, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 With landlines, when a person dials 911, their address (including apartment number) immediately shows up on the 911 screen. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Half full: The Padres’ effort to dial back payroll in 2024 seems destined to reset the financial penalties as a multi-time offender under the Competitive Balance Tax. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 Sydney Sweeney dialed up the Old Hollywood glamour last night at the Vanity Fair Oscar’s After Party. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 However, if the government were to rein in payments, as Warren and her colleagues suggest in the letter, insurers might dial back popular benefits in the private programs. John Tozzi Bloomberg News (tns), arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024 According to an ongoing investigation, the highly sensitive conference call about deploying German Taurus missiles to Ukraine was leaked because one participant dialed into the Webex call on an unsecure line from Singapore. Kate Brady, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English dyal, from Medieval Latin dialis clock wheel revolving daily, from Latin dies day — more at deity

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1653, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dial was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near dial

Cite this Entry

“Dial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dial. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dial

1 of 2 noun
di·​al ˈdī(-ə)l How to pronounce dial (audio)
1
a
b
: the face of a watch or clock
2
a
: a face or scale on which some measurement is registered usually by means of numbers and a pointer
the thermometer dial reads 60°
b
: a disk usually with a knob or slots that may be turned to make electrical connections (as on a telephone) or to regulate the operation of a device (as a radio)

dial

2 of 2 verb
dialed or dialled; dialing or dialling
1
: to turn a dial so as to operate, regulate, or select
2
: to make a telephone call or connection

More from Merriam-Webster on dial

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