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
That code is extremely uninterpretable and unpredictable—there are literally billions of mathematical dials and switches being used by the machine to decide what to do next. Gillian Hadfield, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024 Four years after switching its FM sports station to a hip-hop/R&B format, radio conglomerate Audacy has switched its station at 105.7 on Milwaukee's FM dial back to The Fan, the all-sports-talk brand that has broadcast on its twin AM station, WSSP-AM (1250), since 2014. Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
The Bears brought in their heavy personnel on third-and-1 and dialed up a play fake for DJ Moore. Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2024 Because of this, insurers might want to dial up efficiency improvements. Matt Cullina, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dial 

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 31 Oct. 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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