Dial Meaning
/ˈdaɪ.əl/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
nounA graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed)., Such a field as part of a clock face; (metonymic) the entire clock face.
Sentence Examples
Could you dial for me? The telephone is too high.
In case of an emergency, dial 110.
The dial records very slight variations in pressure.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She turned the ____ to adjust the volume on the old radio.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Could you ____ for me? The telephone is too high.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“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.”"
— 1918, Norman Lindsay, The Magic Pudding, page 90:
"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."
— 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter IX, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:
"Old Mona Lisa would have looked like a sour lemon beside Angel Day on the rare days she put a smile on her dial, laughing with her friends when some new man was in town."
— 2006, Alexis Wright, Carpentaria, Giramondo, published 2012, page 137:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She turned the ____ to adjust the volume on the old radio.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Could you ____ for me? The telephone is too high.