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
dialed or dialled; dialing or dialling
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
1
Synonyms
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
Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 24 Nov. 2023
The watch features a 36 mm stainless-steel case that houses a glossy black dial, complete with gilt graphics and golden luminous material on the hands and indexes.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2023
What to Consider There’s no dial at the back for fine-tuning the fit.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 22 Nov. 2023
The steering wheels are covered in multifunction dials and buttons, which allow a driver to adjust things like brake balance, the amount of regen braking, how the rear differential locks, and more.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 21 Nov. 2023
As a result, watchmakers are free to dress them up with fancy complications, precious metals, and snazzy dials.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 Nov. 2023
In September the brand released Circular C, which features a bezel and dial made from recycled carbon fibers sourced from wind turbine manufacturing waste.
—Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Nov. 2023
Set the dial to Bravo Sunday is of course the day of the Lord.
—Jessica Roy, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
The 41 mm stainless-steel model debuts a green ceramic bezel and complementary lacquered dial and date window for the first time in the Chronomaster Sport family.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2023
Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
At the Troubadour, Marshall is particularly dialed in, steadied perhaps by the Dylan material.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Courtesy of Rodale Books Hand-holding for newbies Since commercial kitchens and restaurants are enormous contributors to food waste, one way to slow the tide of garbage is to cut back on dialing Uber Eats and start cooking at home.
—Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Nov. 2023
Yet the anonymous caller, whom L.B. believes to be a former acquaintance with a grudge, has continued to dial in to New York’s state child welfare hotline.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 16 Nov. 2023
DeSantis has dialed up his criticism of Trump recently and likely will continue to on stage tonight despite Trump's absence.
—Eliza Collins, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023
Other major central banks have also been dialing back their rates hikes with their inflation measures having appeared to improve.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2023
The strong performance, however, complicates the fight to dial back inflation, posing a quandary for the Fed.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 14 Nov. 2023
Hathaway, styled as usual by Erin Walsh, dialed up the look’s drama with the jewels.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 7 Nov. 2023
See More
Noun
It’s got three presets for crushing ice, making a smoothie, or blending together an icy drink along with five different speed options—all controlled by one dial.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 24 Nov. 2023
The watch features a 36 mm stainless-steel case that houses a glossy black dial, complete with gilt graphics and golden luminous material on the hands and indexes.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2023
What to Consider There’s no dial at the back for fine-tuning the fit.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 22 Nov. 2023
The steering wheels are covered in multifunction dials and buttons, which allow a driver to adjust things like brake balance, the amount of regen braking, how the rear differential locks, and more.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 21 Nov. 2023
As a result, watchmakers are free to dress them up with fancy complications, precious metals, and snazzy dials.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 Nov. 2023
In September the brand released Circular C, which features a bezel and dial made from recycled carbon fibers sourced from wind turbine manufacturing waste.
—Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Nov. 2023
Set the dial to Bravo Sunday is of course the day of the Lord.
—Jessica Roy, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
The 41 mm stainless-steel model debuts a green ceramic bezel and complementary lacquered dial and date window for the first time in the Chronomaster Sport family.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2023
Verb
Burns and Israeli officials were dialed into the session.
—Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
At the Troubadour, Marshall is particularly dialed in, steadied perhaps by the Dylan material.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Courtesy of Rodale Books Hand-holding for newbies Since commercial kitchens and restaurants are enormous contributors to food waste, one way to slow the tide of garbage is to cut back on dialing Uber Eats and start cooking at home.
—Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Nov. 2023
Yet the anonymous caller, whom L.B. believes to be a former acquaintance with a grudge, has continued to dial in to New York’s state child welfare hotline.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 16 Nov. 2023
DeSantis has dialed up his criticism of Trump recently and likely will continue to on stage tonight despite Trump's absence.
—Eliza Collins, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023
Other major central banks have also been dialing back their rates hikes with their inflation measures having appeared to improve.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2023
The strong performance, however, complicates the fight to dial back inflation, posing a quandary for the Fed.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 14 Nov. 2023
Hathaway, styled as usual by Erin Walsh, dialed up the look’s drama with the jewels.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 7 Nov. 2023
See More
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
Phrases Containing dial
Articles Related to dial
Dictionary Entries Near dial
Cite this Entry
“Dial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dial. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
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
More from Merriam-Webster on dial
Nglish: Translation of dial for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dial for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share