dial
1 Americannoun
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a plate, disk, face, or other surface containing markings or figures upon which the time of day is indicated by hands, pointers, or shadows, as of a clock or sundial.
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a plate or disk with markings or figures for indicating or registering some measurement or number, as of pressure, number of revolutions, the frequency to which a radio is tuned, etc., usually by means of a pointer.
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a rotatable plate, disk, or knob used for regulating a mechanism, making and breaking electrical connections, etc., as in tuning a radio or television station in or out.
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Also called rotary dial. a rotatable plate or disk on a telephone, fitted with finger holes that are marked with letters or numbers, used in making calls through an automatic switchboard.
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any mechanism on the face of a telephone by which the caller places a call, as push buttons.
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Also called miner's dial. Mining. a compass used for underground surveying.
verb (used with object)
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to enter or input (a number) on a telephone, as by means of a touchscreen, push buttons, or a rotary dial.
I dialed your work number by mistake.
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to make a telephone call to.
You can dial the Telehealth hotline for advice from a nurse.
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to regulate, select, or tune in by means of a dial, as on a radio.
She reached over to dial an FM station.
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to indicate or register on or as if on a dial.
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to measure with or as if with a dial.
verb (used without object)
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to enter or input a number on a telephone, as by means of a touchscreen, push buttons, or a rotary dial.
I keep dialing, but she's not picking up.
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to use a dial to regulate or make a selection.
Dial through the program settings on the washer to find the one that suits your load.
adjective
verb phrase
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dial up
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to obtain, reach, or contact by telephone.
Now's your chance to dial up Chicago and do some business.
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to access a computer, the internet, or another network by dialing a telephone number.
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to increase the level of; intensify.
I used cayenne, garlic, oregano, thyme, and pepper to dial up the flavor.
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dial down to reduce the level of; diminish.
Such open threats of military action make it more difficult to dial down tensions.
abbreviation
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dialect.
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dialectal.
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dialectic.
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dialectical.
noun
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the face of a watch, clock, chronometer, sundial, etc, marked with divisions representing units of time
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the circular graduated disc of various measuring instruments
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the control on a radio or television set used to change the station or channel
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the panel on a radio on which the frequency, wavelength, or station is indicated by means of a pointer
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a numbered disc on a telephone that is rotated a set distance for each digit of a number being called
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a miner's compass for surveying in a mine
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a slang word for face
verb
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to establish or try to establish a telephone connection with (a subscriber or his number) by operating the dial on a telephone
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(tr) to indicate, measure, or operate with a dial
abbreviation
Other Word Forms
- dialler noun
- undialed adjective
- undialled adjective
Etymology
Origin of dial
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English dial, diel,dyal “instrument for telling time by the sun's shadow,” from Old French dyal, from Medieval Latin diālis “daily” ( Latin di(ēs) ) “day” + -ālis adjective suffix; -al 1 )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in the coming months, although analysts say it would likely take a particularly weak number to move the dial much on rate expectations.
In theory, bringing banks back into parts of the market where they have dialed back could introduce more competition, and in turn better pricing for home borrowers.
“Given the weak performance since the middle of 2025, we think this is enough to support the share price today, even if none of the headlines move the dial too significantly,” they note.
And yet a growing subset of the U.S. top tech and finance talent is dialing in from Southern Europe.
Backstage at the Blue Note jazz club, Wyclef Jean spreads out on a couch with the air of a sunned cat, his temperament dialed warm.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
