ring
//ɹɪŋ//
Forms
- Plural
- rings
- present (v1)
- ring
- past (v2)
- ringed
- past participle (v3)
- ringed
- present participle
- ringing
- 3rd person singular
- rings
Definitions
1.A solid object in the shape of a circle.
- The dearest ring in Venice will I give you.
- His brother gifted him a ring for the engagement.
2.A group of objects arranged in a circle.
- This ring is expensive. Show me some cheap ones.
3.A long stripe of contrastive material, colour, etc, that encircles something.
- This ring is expensive. Show me some cheap ones.
4.Ellipsis of webring.
- This ring is expensive. Show me some cheap ones.
1.To enclose or surround.
- The inner city was ringed with dingy industrial areas.
- Today, when stepping off the train, you're presented with a bright and airy concourse that's ringed with a variety of facilities.
2.To make an incision around; to girdle; to cut away a circular tract of bark from a tree in order to kill it.
- They ringed the trees to make the clearing easier next year.
3.To attach a ring to, especially for identification.
- We managed to ring 22 birds this morning.
- Ringing a pig of ordinary size is easy, but special arrangements must be made for handling the big ones.
4.To surround or fit with a ring, or as if with a ring.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #1749
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Uncommon
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Uncommon
Related words
Word family
Etymology
From Middle English ryng, from Old English hring (“ring, circle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hring, from Proto-Germanic *hringaz (“ring”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)krengʰ-, extended nasalized form of *(s)ker- (“to turn, bend”). Doublet of rank and rink, as well as indirectly range.