Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Ring \Ring\, n. [AS. hring, hrinc; akin to Fries. hring, D. & G.
   ring, OHG. ring, hring, Icel. hringr, DAn. & SW. ring; cf.
   Russ. krug'. Cf. {Harangue}, {Rank} a row,{Rink}.]
   A circle, or a circular line, or anything in the form of a
   circular line or hoop.

   2. Specifically, a circular ornament of gold or other
      precious material worn on the finger, or attached to the
      ear, the nose, or some other part of the person; as, a
      wedding ring.

            Upon his thumb he had of gold a ring. --Chaucer.

            The dearest ring in Venice will I give you. --Shak.

   3. A circular area in which races are or run or other sports
      are performed; an arena.

            Place me, O, place me in the dusty ring, Where
            youthful charioteers contend for glory. --E. Smith.

   4. An inclosed space in which pugilists fight; hence,
      figuratively, prize fighting. ``The road was an
      institution, the ring was an institution.'' --Thackeray.

   5. A circular group of persons.

            And hears the Muses in a ring Aye round about Jove's
            alter sing.                           --Milton.

   6. (Geom.)
      (a) The plane figure included between the circumferences
          of two concentric circles.
      (b) The solid generated by the revolution of a circle, or
          other figure, about an exterior straight line (as an
          axis) lying in the same plane as the circle or other
          figure.

   7. (Astron. & Navigation) An instrument, formerly used for
      taking the sun's altitude, consisting of a brass ring
      suspended by a swivel, with a hole at one side through
      which a solar ray entering indicated the altitude on the
      graduated inner surface opposite.

   8. (Bot.) An elastic band partly or wholly encircling the
      spore cases of ferns. See Illust. of {Sporangium}.

   9. A clique; an exclusive combination of persons for a
      selfish purpose, as to control the market, distribute
      offices, obtain contracts, etc.

            The ruling ring at Constantinople.    --E. A.
                                                  Freeman.

   {Ring armor}, armor composed of rings of metal. See {Ring
      mail}, below, and {Chain mail}, under {Chain}.

   {Ring blackbird} (Zo["o]l.), the ring ousel.

   {Ring canal} (Zo["o]l.), the circular water tube which
      surrounds the esophagus of echinoderms.

   {Ring dotterel}, or {Ringed dotterel}. (Zo["o]l.) See
      {Dotterel}, and Illust. of {Pressiroster}.

   {Ring dropper}, a sharper who pretends to have found a ring
      (dropped by himself), and tries to induce another to buy
      it as valuable, it being worthless.

   {Ring fence}. See under {Fence}.

   {Ring finger}, the third finger of the left hand, or the next
      the little finger, on which the ring is placed in
      marriage.

   {Ring formula} (Chem.), a graphic formula in the shape of a
      closed ring, as in the case of benzene, pyridine, etc. See
      Illust. under {Benzene}.

   {Ring mail}, a kind of mail made of small steel rings sewed
      upon a garment of leather or of cloth.

   {Ring micrometer}. (Astron.) See {Circular micrometer}, under
      {Micrometer}.

   {Saturn's rings}. See {Saturn}.

   {Ring ousel}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Ousel}.

   {Ring parrot} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of Old
      World parrakeets having a red ring around the neck,
      especially {Pal[ae]ornis torquatus}, common in India, and
      {P. Alexandri} of {Java}.

   {Ring plover}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) The ringed dotterel.
      (b) Any one of several small American plovers having a
          dark ring around the neck, as the semipalmated plover
          ({[AE]gialitis semipalmata}).

   {Ring snake} (Zo["o]l.), a small harmless American snake
      ({Diadophis punctatus}) having a white ring around the
      neck. The back is ash-colored, or sage green, the belly of
      an orange red.

   {Ring stopper}. (Naut.) See under {Stopper}.

   {Ring thrush} (Zo["o]l.), the ring ousel.

   {The prize ring}, the ring in which prize fighters contend;
      prize fighters, collectively.

   {The ring}.
      (a) The body of sporting men who bet on horse races.
          [Eng.]
      (b) The prize ring.