Definition of dial - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
make calltr. call someone on the telephonetr.
- He dialed his friend to catch up..
2.
adjusttr./intr. turn a control knob to choose settings or stationstr./intr.
- He dialed the radio to his favorite station.
Noun
1.
controlscontrol knob for adjusting settings
- Turn the dial to increase the volume.
2.
timekeepingface of a clock showing time with hands or marks
- He glanced at the dial to check the time..
3.
telephoneDated disc on old telephones for dialing numbersDated
- He rotated the dial to call his friend.
4.
technologyRare panel indicating radio frequencies or channelsRare
- The radio dial was set to 101.5 FM.
Images of dial

control knob for adjusting settings 
face of a clock showing time with hands or marks 
disc on old telephones for dialing numbers 
panel indicating radio frequencies or channels
Expressions with dial
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increase the intensity or level of something
The coach told the team to dial up their efforts.
reduce intensity, energy, or extreme actions in any situation
You should dial back your excitement a little.
join a conference call or meeting
He dialed in to the meeting from his office.
accidental call made from a pocketed phone
I received a butt dial from him yesterday.
make a measurable difference in a situation
The new strategy helped move the dial in sales.
make a significant change in a situation
The new policy will shift the dial on climate change.
call emergency services by entering 999 on a phone
In case of a fire, dial 999 immediately.
reduce the intensity or amount of something
He decided to dial down the sarcasm during the meeting..
calm down or relax
He needs to dial it back and stop yelling.
perform a task with minimal effort
He dialed it in during the last week of his job.
call someone while drunk, often regrettably
He tends to drunk dial his ex-girlfriend.
easily and quickly accessible due to importance
The emergency contacts are on speed dial for quick access.
accidental phone call made from a pocket
I got a pocket dial from him last night.
face of a clock showing time
The clock dial was beautifully decorated with Roman numerals.
call someone by entering an incorrect phone number
I dial a wrong number and a stranger answers.
call someone by entering an incorrect phone number
I dial the wrong number and a stranger answered.
adjust a dial back to its starting position
He had to reset the dial on the old radio.
telephone feature for calling a number with one or two keys
I added her number to my speed dial.
call emergency services by entering 911 on a phone
In case of fire, dial 911 immediately.
transport service you request when you need a ride
My grandma uses dial-a-ride to get to the doctor.
connect to a service or system using a phone or computer
You need to dial in to the conference call at 10 AM.
sound indicating phone is ready for dialing
She waited for the dial tone before dialing the number.
the face of a compass showing directions
The compass dial pointed north.
instrument showing small changes by comparing to a standard
The dial gauge showed a tiny difference in thickness.
Origin of dial
Greek, dialegesthai (converse)
Terms with dial included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
timepiece
surface of a clock with dial and hands
outgoing dial
lift the phone to make a call
timepiece
dial or display of a clock or watch
instrument
indicator on a gauge or dial
mechanical clock
clock showing time with moving hands on a dial
traditional timekeeping
timepiece with hands moving over a dial
timekeeping
describing a watch with hands on a dial
call transfer
transfers incoming calls to any direct-dial number
timepiece
watch showing time with hands on a dial
measurement
cause a dial's needle to reach maximum
vintage technology
telephone with a circular dial for numbers
acr: direct dial-in
call directly to a specific phone number
dashboard dial
device that logs a vehicle's travel distance, often in miles
telecommunications
method of signaling in rotary dial telephones
acr: Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service
service for checking who can use a network
geometry
angle between a dial plane and vertical plane
timekeeping
long hand registering seconds on a clock dial
clock
second hand moving smoothly around the dial
literal
adjust a dial back to its starting position
adjustment
involving adjustment or selection like a dial
telephone
sound indicating readiness to dial a number
communication
telephone with a rotary dial for numbers
surveying
method of surveying using a miner's dial
communication
use a rotary dial to make a call
Examples of dial in a sentence
I will dial the office to confirm. She dialed the thermostat to a warmer setting. He carefully dialed the safe's combination lock. Adjust the dial to set the temperature. The radio's dial was stuck on one station. The dial showed it was almost noon.
The antique clock's dial was beautifully crafted. The old phone's dial was dusty. He admired the antique dial on the telephone. He adjusted the dial to find his favorite station. The old radio's dial was difficult to read.
View all translations of dial
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:appeler, cadran, ...
- German:wählen, Regler, ...
- Italian:comporre, manopola, ...
- Spanish:marcar, perilla, ...
- Portuguese:telefonar, dial, ...
- Chinese:打电话, 旋钮, ...
- Japanese:ダイヤルする, ダイヤル, ...
- Arabic:اِتَّصَلَ, مِقْبَض, ...
- Hebrew:לְחַיֵּג, חוּגָה, ...
- Russian:набирать, регулятор, ...
- Ukrainian:дзвонити, регулятор, ...
- Hindi:फ़ोन करना, घुंडी, ...
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