dial

name

1. A surname.

noun

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”).

1. A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).

   “Holonyms: (often holonymous) instrument, gauge”

   “The dial on the dashboard showed the car was nearly out of gas.”

2. A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
3. A sundial.
4. A panel on a radio etc showing wavelengths or channels; a knob that is turned to change the wavelength etc.

   “Turn the dial to Radio 4: my favourite show is on!”

5. A disk with finger holes on a telephone; used to select the number to be called.

   “His hands were too fat to operate the dial on the telephone.”

6. A person's face.

   ““Well, all I can say is that if yer don't take yer dial outer the road I'll bloomin' well take an' bounce a gibber off yer crust.””

   “At the sound of the old familiar voice he spun around with something of the agility of a cat on hot bricks, and I saw that his dial, usually cheerful, was contorted with anguish, as if he had swallowed a bad oyster.”

7. A miner's compass.

verb

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”).

1. To control or select something with a dial, or (figuratively) as if with a dial.

   “The lead guitarist for the rock band Spinal Tap dialed his amplifier to 11.”

   “The president has recently dialled down the rhetoric.”

2. To select a number, or to call someone, on a telephone, regardless of whether a physical dial is present.

   “In an emergency dial 999.”

3. To use a dial or a telephone.

   “Please be careful when dialling.”

4. To initiate a connection to a remote computer service such as a database.

   “The application failed when attempting to dial the Postgres server, because there were too many open connections.”

5. To use a dial-up modem to connect a personal computer to the Internet.

   “I always check my guestbook when I dial, just in case anyone saw my Web site.”