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ring (1)
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ring (1)

ring [ ring ]


noun  (plural rings)
Definition:
 
1. band: a durable circular band of something, especially a small band made of a particular material or for some special use

2. circular piece of jewelry: a band, usually made of precious metal and often engraved or mounted with gemstones, worn as an ornament, especially around a finger

3. encircling mark: an outline, mark, or figure in the shape of a circle ( often used in the plural )

4. circle: a circular arrangement of people or objects
a ring of chairs

5. circular motion: a movement of steps, especially by people skipping or dancing, that goes around in a continuous circle
dancing in a ring

6. group of people operating dishonestly: an organized group of people who work together in a dishonest or unethical way
a gambling ring

7. circular area for performance: a round stage or piece of ground, usually surrounded by seating, on which a spectator event such as a circus or a theatrical performance takes place
a small circus of only one ring

8. platform for boxing or wrestling: a raised square roped platform on which a boxing or wrestling match takes place

9. boxing: the sport of boxing
choose the ring as a career

10. sports 
Same as  bullring


11. competition: a competition or contest, especially a political one
still debating whether to enter the ring

12. agriculture enclosure for livestock at fair: an enclosure at a fair in which livestock are shown, paraded, or auctioned

13. astronomy band of matter circling planet: a band of dust, particles, and small bodies revolving around a planet. Such bands are known to circle Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.

14. trees 
Same as  growth ring


15. turn of spiral: a single turn of a spiral

16. chemistry closed loop of atoms: a collection of bound atoms represented graphically in cyclic form

17. mathematics set of mathematical elements: a set of elements that is associative under multiplication and distributive under addition

18. mathematics space between circles: a space between two concentric circles



plural noun rings 
Definition:
 
gymnastic apparatus: a pair of metal rings that are suspended from a ceiling and used to perform gymnastic routines



transitive verb  (past and past participle ringed, present participle ring·ing, 3rd person present singular rings)
Definition:
 
1. encircle something: to form a circle, or move in a circle, around something ( often passive )
We were ringed by the herd of cattle.

2. U.S. leisure encircle something with ring: to throw a ring or horseshoe so that it encircles a peg or stake

[ Old English hring< Indo-European, "to curl"]

run rings around somebody to be effortlessly superior in intelligence, skill, or performance to somebody else (informal)


Spelling Note

ring or wring? Do not confuse the spelling of ring and wring, which sound similar. Ring, the more common of the two words, is used as a noun or verb referring to something circular (as in a diamond ring on her finger, ring the correct answer) or to the sound of a bell: The telephone is ringing.His story had a familiar ring.Wring means "twist or extract forcefully," as in wring the wet towels, wringing his hands in despair, wring the truth out of her.


Cultural Note

The Ring of the Nibelung, a series of musical dramas by German composer Richard Wagner. Based on Teutonic legends, this massive tetralogy - The Rhinegold (1869), The Valkyrie (1870), Siegfried (1876), and The Twilight of the Gods (1876) - a full performance of which lasts up to 15 hours, recounts the complex chain of events triggered by the theft of a magical gold ring. It represents Wagner's most successful attempt to create a new form of theater in which poetic drama is set to a musical score unified by recurring themes or leitmotifs.

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