dial
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈdaɪ.əl/
ipa: [ˈdaɪ.əɫ]
rhymes: -aɪəl
Forms: form: dials
form: dialing
form: dialling
form: dialed
form: dialed
form: dialled
form: dialled
Etymology: The original meaning was 'sundial' and/or 'clock dial'; from Middle English diall, from Middle French dyal, from Latin diālis (“daily, concerning the day”), because of its use in telling the time of day, from Latin diēs (“day”). Compare Spanish dial and día (“day”).
Senses: examples: text: The lead guitarist for the rock band Spinal Tap dialed his amplifier to 11.
text: The president has recently dialled down the rhetoric.
glosses: To control or select something with a dial, or (figuratively) as if with a dial.
examples: text: In an emergency dial 999.
glosses: To select a number, or to call someone, on a telephone, regardless of whether a physical dial is present.
examples: text: Please be careful when dialling.
glosses: To use a dial or a telephone.
examples: text: The application failed when attempting to dial the Postgres server, because there were too many open connections.
glosses: To initiate a connection to a remote computer service such as a database.
Derived terms: sense: derived from noun or verb
word: autodial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: butt dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: compass dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dead dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dialable
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial-a-joke
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial-a-ride
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial-a-ride problem
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial-around
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial-a-yield
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial back
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial down
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial down a notch
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dialer
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial gauge
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial in
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial-in
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial indicator
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial into
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dialist
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial it in
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dialless
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: diallist
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial lock
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial number
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial out
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dialpainter
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial tone
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial towards
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial up
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: dial-up
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: direct-dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: don't touch that dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: drunk dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: mine dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: miner's dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: misdial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: moondial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: move the dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: pocket-dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: pocket dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: predial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: radium dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: redial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: reset the dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: rotary-dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: rotary dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: shadow dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: shift the dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: speed-dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: speed dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: subdial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: tide dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: tropical dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: turn the dial
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: undialed
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: undialled
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: video dial tone
sense: derived from noun or verb
word: war-dial