ring

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈriŋ 

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 finger

3

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 decisively

4

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 usually square enclosure in which a fighting contest (such as a boxing or wrestling match) takes place

5

: a band of small objects revolving around a planet (such as Saturn) and composed of dust and icy or rocky fragments

6

: annual ring

7

a

: an exclusive combination of persons for a selfish and often corrupt purpose (as to control a market)

a wheat ring

b

: gang

8

: the field of a political contest : race

9

: food in the shape of a circle

10

: an arrangement of atoms represented in formulas or models in a cyclic manner

called also cycle

11

: 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 operation

12

rings plural

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 used

13

: boxing entry 1

ended his ring career

ringlike

ˈriŋ-līk 

adjective

ring

2 of 4

verb (1)

ringed; ringing ˈriŋ-iŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to provide with a ring

2

: to place or form a ring around : encircle

police ringed the building

3

: girdle sense 2

4

: to throw a ringer over (the peg) in a game (such as horseshoes or quoits)

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move in a ring

b

: to rise in the air spirally

2

: to form or take the shape of a ring

ring

3 of 4

verb (2)

rang ˈraŋ  ; rung ˈrəŋ  ; ringing ˈriŋ-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to sound resonantly or sonorously

the doorbell rang

cheers rang out

2

a

: to be filled with a reverberating sound : resound

the halls rang with laughter

b

: to have the sensation of being filled with a humming sound

his ears rang

3

: to cause something to ring

ring for the butler

4

a

: to be filled with talk or report

the whole land rang with her fame

b

: to have great renown

c

: to sound repetitiously

their praise rang in his ears

5

: to have a sound or character expressive of some quality

a story that rings true

6

chiefly British : to make a telephone call

—usually used with up

transitive verb

1

: to cause to sound especially by striking

2

: to make (a sound) by or as if by ringing a bell

3

: to announce by or as if by ringing

4

: to repeat often, loudly, or earnestly

5

a

: to summon especially by bell

b

chiefly British : telephone

—usually used with up

ring

4 of 4

noun (2)

1

: a set of bells

2

: a clear resonant sound made by or resembling that made by vibrating metal

3

: resonant tone : sonority

4

: a loud sound continued, repeated, or reverberated

5

: a sound or character expressive of some particular quality

the story had a familiar ring

6

a

: the act or an instance of ringing

b

: a telephone call

Phrases

ring a bell

: to arouse a response

that name rings a bell

ring down the curtain

: to conclude a performance or an action

ring off the hook

: to ring frequently or constantly with incoming calls

the telephone was ringing off the hook

ring the changes or ring changes

: to run through the range of possible variations

ring up the curtain

: to begin a performance or an action

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• cabal
• conspiracy
• crew
• gang
• Mafia
• mob
• syndicate

Verb (1)

• circle
• compass
• embrace
• encircle
• enclose
• inclose
• encompass
• environ
• gird
• girdle
• surround
• wreathe

Verb (2)

• bong
• chime
• knell
• peal
• toll

Noun (2)

• buzz
• call

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Organizers of the inaugural Ballpark Series announced dates — July 13-16 — for when most of a dozen pickleball courts ringed around the ballpark’s outfield can be reserved for groups between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. —Michael Silverman, BostonGlobe.com, 1 June 2023

Gucci is ringing the bells to honor a milestone anniversary for its Chime campaign. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 June 2023

Final lap bell: What went wrong When runners have one lap remaining in long distance races in track and field, an official rings a bell as an indicator that there is one lap to go. —Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY, 31 May 2023

The circular saltwater lagoon, which was formed by the crater of an ancient volcano, is ringed by lush vegetation. —Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 5 May 2023

Soon, though, his phone was ringing with bigger and bigger offers from Big 12 and SEC programs bidding for his services in the new reality of Division I college basketball. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 May 2023

Along the hamlet’s lone dirt road there is an Orthodox chapel and a Catholic church, as well as a store that opens whenever someone rings the front door bell. —David Segal, New York Times, 1 May 2023

In recent weeks, numerous individuals have been shot, even fatally, for the offense of accidentally ringing the wrong doorbell or driving up the wrong driveway. —Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 25 Apr. 2023

Over the last week, two cheerleaders in Texas were shot after entering the wrong car in a parking lot, a woman in New York was killed after entering the wrong driveway, and a 16-year-old in Missouri was shot after ringing the doorbell to the wrong home. —Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2023

Noun

Then, glue little ants to your napkin rings to be freaky but not too freaky. —Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 2 June 2023

The biggest visual difference is that in lieu of a platform with a ring of lights, there will be a cube in the center of the stage. —Abigail Lee, BostonGlobe.com, 1 June 2023

They were each seen separately at Paris Fashion Week soon after, with Dunst wearing the ring to the Ralph & Russo show. —Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 1 June 2023

Fires are allowed in fire rings and grills only at Wisconsin State parks. —Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 1 June 2023

The public outing came one day after fans speculated that the fiancés had split—The White Lotus actress had been spotted without her engagement ring, per photos shared by the Daily Mail. —Naydeline Mejia, Women's Health, 30 May 2023

In an Instagram story posted on the way to the event, Cephas Jones flashed a peace sign with her left hand, giving fans a glimpse of her new ring. —Alexia Fernández, Peoplemag, 30 May 2023

Pastor is the fifth candidate to throw her hat in the ring, joining state Sen. Raquel Terán, Phoenix City Councilmember Yassamin Ansari and school board members Ylenia Aguilar and Hector Jaramillo. —Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 30 May 2023

For jewelry, Kaley put on a series of beaded bracelets and chunky rings. —Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 28 May 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, going back to Old English hring (masculine strong noun), going back to Germanic *hrenga- (whence also Old Frisian hring, ring "ring," Old Saxon hring "chain mail," Old High German ring, rinh "ring," Old Icelandic hringr), going back to dialectal Indo-European *kreng^ho-, *krong^ho-, whence also Old Church Slavic krǫgŭ "circle, ring," Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian krûg, Polish krąg

Note: The only certain attestations of this etymon are in Germanic and Slavic. As it violates an Indo-European root structure constraint on co-occurrence of a voiceless stop and a voiced aspirate stop, the etymon is presumably late or post-Indo-European, or borrowed from an unknown source.

Verb (1)

Middle English ringen, derivative of ring ring entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English hringan; akin to Old Norse hringja to ring

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ring

• annual ring
• brass ring
• benzene ring
• double-ring
• coffee ring
• gas ring
• D ring
• give (someone) a ring
• go for the brass ring
• growth ring
• have a hollow ring
• key ring
• life ring
• grab the brass ring
• O-ring
• quotient ring
• ring-a-levio
• ring-around-a-rosy
• ring-around-the-rosy
• ring bearer
• ring-billed gull
• ring dance
• ring down the curtain
• ring false
• ring-fence
• ring finger
• ring hollow
• ring in someone's ears/head
• ring-neck
• ring-necked duck
• ring-necked
• ring off the hook
• ring out
• ring-porous
• ring pull
• ring road
• ring stand
• ring spot
• ring toss
• ring true
• seal ring
• show ring
• signet ring
• sound/ring/toll the death knell
• teething ring
• slip ring
• the brass ring
• three-ring circus
• tree ring
• wedding ring
• nose ring
• fairy ring
• onion ring
• piston ring
• ring binder
• ring in
• ring-necked pheasant
• ring-tailed
• ring in at
• ring ouzel
• ring up
• ring-tailed lemur
• ring off
• throw/toss one's hat in/into the ring
• ring-a-rosy
• ring-a-lievo
• ring changes
• ring in the New Year
• ring the changes
• ring a bell
• ring up the curtain

See More

• annual ring
• brass ring
• benzene ring
• double-ring
• coffee ring
• gas ring
• D ring
• give (someone) a ring
• go for the brass ring
• growth ring
• have a hollow ring
• key ring
• life ring
• grab the brass ring
• O-ring
• quotient ring
• ring-a-levio
• ring-around-a-rosy
• ring-around-the-rosy
• ring bearer
• ring-billed gull
• ring dance
• ring down the curtain
• ring false
• ring-fence
• ring finger
• ring hollow
• ring in someone's ears/head
• ring-neck
• ring-necked duck
• ring-necked
• ring off the hook
• ring out
• ring-porous
• ring pull
• ring road
• ring stand
• ring spot
• ring toss
• ring true
• seal ring
• show ring
• signet ring
• sound/ring/toll the death knell
• teething ring
• slip ring
• the brass ring
• three-ring circus
• tree ring
• wedding ring
• nose ring
• fairy ring
• onion ring
• piston ring
• ring binder
• ring in
• ring-necked pheasant
• ring-tailed
• ring in at
• ring ouzel
• ring up
• ring-tailed lemur
• ring off
• throw/toss one's hat in/into the ring
• ring-a-rosy
• ring-a-lievo
• ring changes
• ring in the New Year
• ring the changes
• ring a bell
• ring up the curtain

See More

Kids Definition

ring

1 of 4 noun

ˈriŋ 

1

: a circular band for holding, connecting, hanging, or pulling or for packing or sealing

a key ring

a towel ring

2

: a circular band usually of precious metal worn on the finger

3

: something circular in shape

smoke rings

4

: an often circular space for shows and contests

a circus ring

a boxing ring

5

: annual ring

6

: a group of persons involved in selfish or dishonest activities

a ring of thieves

7

plural : a pair of rings suspended from above and used for hanging, swinging, and balancing tricks in gymnastics

ringed

ˈriŋd

adjective

ringlike

ˈriŋ-ˌlīk 

adjective

ring

2 of 4 verb

ringed; ringing ˈriŋ-iŋ 

1

: to place or form a ring around : encircle

2

: to provide with a ring

3

: to throw a ringer over (the peg) in a game (as horseshoes)

4

: to form or take the shape of a ring

ring

3 of 4 verb

rang ˈraŋ  ; rung ˈrəŋ  ; ringing ˈriŋ-iŋ 

1

: to make a clear and vibrating sound when struck

church bells ringing

2

: to cause to sound especially by striking

rang the bell

3

: to announce by or as if by ringing

ring an alarm

ring in the new year

4

: to sound loudly

cheers rang out

5

a

: to be filled with echoing sound : resound

the whole hall rang with their cheers

b

: to have the feeling of being filled with a humming sound

his ears were ringing

6

: to be filled with talk or news

the whole town rang with news of the victory

7

: to seem to have some particular quality

her story rings true

8

a

: to call for especially by bell

ring for the servants

b

chiefly British : to call on the telephone

will ring you up tomorrow

ring

4 of 4 noun

1

: a set of bells

2

: a clear sound made by or as if by vibrating metal

3

: a tone like that of a bell

4

: a continuous or repeating loud noise

5

: something that suggests a certain quality

a story with the ring of truth

6

a

: the act or an instance of ringing

b

: a telephone call

Etymology

Noun

Old English hring "a circular band"

Verb

Old English hringan "to ring"

Medical Definition

ring

1 of 2 noun

ˈriŋ 

1

a

: a circular band

b

: an anatomical structure having a circular opening : annulus

2

: an arrangement of atoms represented in formulas or models in a cyclic manner as a closed chain

called also cycle

ring

2 of 2 intransitive verb

rang ˈraŋ  ; rung ˈrəŋ  ; ringing ˈriŋ-iŋ 

: to have the sensation of being filled with a humming sound

his ears rang