ring // verb, noun

■ verb (rang // rung //)

1 [no obj]

(about a telephone) to make a sound because sb is trying to telephone you:

Will you answer the telephone if it rings?

2 (BrE) (also call, AmE, BrE) ring sb/sth (up) [+ obj or no obj]

to telephone sb:

I'm ringing about your advertisement in the paper.

He rang up a few of his contacts.

Hundreds of people rang up to complain.

Why don't you ring them up to make an appointment?

SYN PHONE

IDIOMS

ring off the hook (AmE) (usually used in the continuous tenses)

(about a telephone) to ring a lot of times:

The phones have been ringing off the hook with offers of help.

ring the register; ring the cash register

to sell sth and make a profit

PHRASAL VERBS

ring around; ring around sb/sth (BrE)

= RING ROUND/AROUND

ring back (BrE)

to telephone sb again, for example because they were not available when you called earlier:

She's in a meeting-could you ring back later?

ring sb back (BrE)

to telephone sb again; to telephone sb who has telephoned you:

I'll check the files and ring you back.

I'll ask Susan to ring you back when she gets in.

ring in (BrE)

to telephone the place where you work:

Mark rang in to say that he won't be in today.

Two members of staff rang in sick at short notice.

ring off (BrE)

to put down the telephone because you have finished speaking:

She rang off before I could ask any questions.

ring round/around (also ring round sb/sth) (BrE)

to telephone a number of people in order to organize sth or to get some information, etc:

You should ring round a few suppliers to get quotes.

We had to ring round all the hotels in the area before we could get a room.

ring through (to sb) (BrE)

to make a telephone call to sb, especially within the same building:

Reception just rang through to say your visitor has arrived.

ring sth up Commerce

to enter the cost of goods being bought in a shop/store on a cash register:

The cashier had rung up one of the items twice.

What would you do if an item costs $100 and the clerk rings it up as $10?

ring up sth

to record an amount of sales or profits in a particular period of time:

The company rang up sales of $166 million last year.

■ noun [C]

1

a group of people who are working together, especially in a secret or illegal activity:

organized crime rings

⇨ PRICE RING

2 (Stock Exchange )

an area of a stock exchange where a particular product is traded

SYN PIT

IDIOMS

give sb a ring (BrE) (informal)

to telephone sb:

I'll give you a ring when I have some more information.

THROW

• adjourn
• adjudicate
• adjunct
• adjust
• adjustable
• adjustable peg
• adjusted
• adjusted gross income
• adjuster
• adjustment
• adjustment factor
• adland
• ad litem
• adman
• admin
• administer
• administration
• administration order
• administrative
• administrative assistant
• administrative leave
• administrative management
• administrator
• admissible
• admission