Ring

Ring, ring, n. a circle: a small hoop, usually of metal, worn on the finger or in the ear as an ornament: a circular area for races, &c.: a circular course, a revolution: a clique organised to control the market: an arena or prize-ring: the commercial measure of staves for casks: (archit.) a cincture round a column: (anat.) an annulus: a group or combination of persons.—v.t. to encircle: to fit with a ring: to surround: to wed with a ring: (hort.) to cut out a ring of bark from a tree.—v.i. to move in rings.—ns. Ring′-ar′mature, an armature in which the coils of wire are wound round a ring; Ring′-arm′our, armour made of metal rings (see Chain-mail).—v.t. Ring′-bark, to strip a ring of bark round a tree to kill it.—ns. Ring′bill, the ring-necked duck; Ring′-bolt, an iron bolt with a ring through a hole at one end; Ring′bone, in farriery, a bony callus on a horse's pastern-bone, the result of inflammation: the condition caused by this; Ring′-bunt′ing, the reed-bunting; Ring′-carr′ier, a go-between; Ring′-dī′al, a portable sun-dial; Ring′-dog, an iron apparatus for hauling timber; Ring′-dott′erel, the ringed plover; Ring′dove, the cushat or wood-pigeon, so called from a white ring or line on the neck; Ring′-drop′ping, a trick practised by rogues upon simple people.—adj. Ringed, surrounded as with a ring, annulose, annulate: wearing a wedding-ring.—ns. Ringed′-car′pet, a British geometrid moth; Ring′-fence, a fence continuously encircling an estate, a limit; Ring′-fing′er, the third finger of the left hand, on which women wear their marriage-ring.—adj. Ring′-formed, annular.—ns. Ring′-frame, any one of a class of spinning-machines with vertical spindles; Ring′-gauge, a measure consisting of a ring of fixed size used for measuring spherical objects; Ring′leader, the head of a riotous body: one who opens a ball; Ring′let, a little ring: a curl, esp. of hair.—adj. Ring′leted.—ns. Ring′lock, a puzzle-lock; Ring′-mail, chain-armour; Ring′man, the third finger of the hand: one interested in the prize-ring; Ring′-mas′ter, one who has charge of a circus-ring and the performances in it; Ring′-mon′ey, rudely formed rings anciently used for money; Ring′-neck, a kind of ring-plover: the ring-necked duck; Ring′-net, a net for catching butterflies; Ring′-ou′sel, a species of thrush, with a white band on the breast; Ring′-parr′ot, a common Indian parrot; Ring′-perch, the perch of North America; Ring′-plov′er, a ring-necked plover; Ring′-rope, a rope for hauling the cable in rough weather; Ring′-saw, a scroll-saw with annular web; Ring′-small, broken stones of such a size as to pass through a ring two inches in diameter; Ring′-snake, the collared snake, a harmless serpent of the United States; Ring′ster, a member of a ring; Ring′-stop′per, a piece of rope by which the ring of an anchor is secured to the cat-head.—adjs. Ring′-straked (B.), -streaked, streaked with rings.—n. Ring′-tail (naut.), a studding-sail set upon the gaff of a fore-and-aft sail: a light sail set abaft and beyond the spanker: the female of the hen-harrier, named from a rust-coloured ring formed by the tips of the tail-feathers when expanded.—adj. Ring′-tailed, having the tail marked with bars or rings of colour, as a lemur: having a tail curled at the end.—ns. Ring′-thrush, the ring-ousel; Ring′-time (Shak.), time for marrying; Ring′-valve, a hollow cylindrical valve; Ring′-work, a material composed of rings interlinked; Ring′worm, a skin disease in which itchy pimples appear in rings.—Ring the changes (see Change).—Ride, or Tilt, at the ring, to practise the sport of riding rapidly, spear in hand, and carrying off with it a ring hung up; The ring, pugilism and the persons connected with it. [A.S. hring; Ice. hring-r, Ger., Dan., and Sw. ring.]