dial

1 of 3

noun

di·​al ˈdī(-ə)l 

1

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

2

: the face of a sundial

3

obsolete : timepiece

4

: the graduated face of a timepiece

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

1

dialect

2

dialectical

Synonyms of dial

Verb

• call
• phone
• telephone

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

The designs from this period were incredibly bold, using hard stone dials, sculptural gold bracelets, openwork construction, and strong geometric shapes, often built around mechanical movements. — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026

Every five weeks, the staff steps back and looks at how that player is performing in those areas, and turns the dials of their pre-game work. — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Verb

The ingredients that acidify or sweeten the drink also need to be dialed back in order to balance the mixture; many bartenders will include spices or other ingredients that provide nuance and complexity in the drink. — Esther Tseng, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

Epigenetic control — the means by which an organism can dial the expression of its genetic repertoire up or down, or shut off the expression of some genes entirely — may have evolved first to bring transposons to heel. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

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 2

Verb

1653, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing dial

• butt-dial
• dial tone
• dial-up
• don't touch that dial
• speed dial

Rhymes for dial

• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• rial
• thiol
• trial
• vial
• sensorial

Kids Definition

dial

1 of 2 noun

di·​al ˈdī(-ə)l 

1

a

: sundial

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