dial
/daɪəl/
verb
- To press or turn the numbers on a phone to call someone.
- She dialed the wrong area code and reached a stranger.
- I dialed my friend's number but got a busy signal.
- Please dial 911 in case of an emergency.
- To adjust a control or setting by turning a dial.
- Dial the temperature down if the room gets too hot.
- He dialed the volume to maximum for the concert broadcast.
- You can dial the focus ring on the camera lens for a sharper image.
- To select or tune into a specific channel, frequency, or setting.
- The technician dialed the microscope to the right magnification.
- Dial in the correct frequency to hear the weather report.
- She dialed the radio to her favorite jazz station.
noun
- The face of a clock or watch that shows the time with numbers and moving hands.
- The clock's dial has Roman numerals instead of regular numbers.
- The antique grandfather clock has a beautifully painted dial.
- She glanced at the watch dial to check the time during the meeting.
- A flat, round control on a device (like a radio, stove, or thermostat) that you turn to adjust settings.
- Turn the dial on the radio to find your favorite station.
- The thermostat dial is set to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
- He adjusted the oven dial to 350 degrees for baking the cake.
- A numbered disk on a telephone that you rotate to make a call (on older phones).
- He placed his finger in the hole for number 5 and turned the dial.
- The old telephone dial clicks as it returns to its starting position.
- My grandmother still has a rotary dial on her kitchen phone.