Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Ring \Ring\ (r[i^]ng), v. t. [imp. {Rang} (r[a^]ng) or {Rung}
   (r[u^]ng); p. p. {Rung}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Ringing}.] [AS.
   hringan; akin to Icel. hringja, Sw. ringa, Dan. ringe, OD.
   ringhen, ringkelen. [root]19.]
   1. To cause to sound, especially by striking, as a metallic
      body; as, to ring a bell.

   2. To make (a sound), as by ringing a bell; to sound.

            The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums, Hath
            rung night's yawning peal.            --Shak.

   3. To repeat often, loudly, or earnestly.

   {To ring a peal}, to ring a set of changes on a chime of
      bells.

   {To ring the changes upon}. See under {Change}.

   {To ring in} or {out}, to usher, attend on, or celebrate, by
      the ringing of bells; as, to ring out the old year and
      ring in the new. --Tennyson.

   {To ring the bells backward}, to sound the chimes, reversing
      the common order; -- formerly done as a signal of alarm or
      danger. --Sir W. Scott.

Ring \Ring\, n.
   1. A sound; especially, the sound of vibrating metals; as,
      the ring of a bell.

   2. Any loud sound; the sound of numerous voices; a sound
      continued, repeated, or reverberated.

            The ring of acclamations fresh in his ears. --Bacon

   3. A chime, or set of bells harmonically tuned.

            As great and tunable a ring of bells as any in the
            world.                                --Fuller.

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.

Ring \Ring\, v. i.
   1. To sound, as a bell or other sonorous body, particularly a
      metallic one.

            Now ringen trompes loud and clarion.  --Chaucer.

            Why ring not out the bells?           --Shak.

   2. To practice making music with bells. --Holder.

   3. To sound loud; to resound; to be filled with a ringing or
      reverberating sound.

            With sweeter notes each rising temple rung. --Pope.

            The hall with harp and carol rang.    --Tennyson.

            My ears still ring with noise.        --Dryden.

   4. To continue to sound or vibrate; to resound.

            The assertion is still ringing in our ears. --Burke.

   5. To be filled with report or talk; as, the whole town rings
      with his fame.

Ring \Ring\, v. i. (Falconry)
   To rise in the air spirally.

Ring \Ring\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Ringed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Ringing}.]
   1. To surround with a ring, or as with a ring; to encircle.
      ``Ring these fingers.'' --Shak.

   2. (Hort.) To make a ring around by cutting away the bark; to
      girdle; as, to ring branches or roots.

   3. To fit with a ring or with rings, as the fingers, or a
      swine's snout.

Source : WordNet®

ring
     v 1: sound loudly and sonorously; "the bells rang" [syn: {peal}]
     2: ring or echo with sound; "the hall resounded with laughter"
        [syn: {resound}, {echo}, {reverberate}]
     3: make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical
        edification; "Ring the bells"; "My uncle rings every
        Sunday at the local church" [syn: {knell}]
     4: be around; "Developments surround the town"; "The river
        encircles the village" [syn: {surround}, {environ}, {encircle},
         {circle}, {round}]
     5: get or try to get into communication (with someone) by
        telephone; "I tried to call you all night"; "Take two
        aspirin and call me in the morning" [syn: {call}, {telephone},
         {call up}, {phone}]
     6: attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify; "ring
        birds"; "band the geese to observe their migratory
        patterns" [syn: {band}]
     [also: {rung}, {rang}]

ring
     n 1: a characteristic sound; "it has the ring of sincerity"
     2: a toroidal shape; "a ring of ships in the harbor"; "a halo
        of smoke" [syn: {halo}, {annulus}, {anulus}, {doughnut}, {anchor
        ring}]
     3: a rigid circular band of metal or wood or other material
        used for holding or fastening or hanging or pulling;
        "there was still a rusty iron hoop for tying a horse"
        [syn: {hoop}]
     4: (chemistry) a chain of atoms in a molecule that forms a
        closed loop [syn: {closed chain}] [ant: {open chain}]
     5: an association of criminals; "police tried to break up the
        gang"; "a pack of thieves" [syn: {gang}, {pack}, {mob}]
     6: the sound of a bell ringing; "the distinctive ring of the
        church bell"; "the ringing of the telephone"; "the
        tintinnabulation that so volumnously swells from the
        ringing and the dinging of the bells"--E. A. Poe [syn: {ringing},
         {tintinnabulation}]
     7: a square platform marked off by ropes in which contestants
        box or wrestle
     8: jewelry consisting of a circlet of precious metal (often set
        with jewels) worn on the finger; "she had rings on every
        finger"; "he noted that she wore a wedding band" [syn: {band}]
     9: a strip of material attached to the leg of a bird to
        identify it (as in studies of bird migration) [syn: {band}]
     [also: {rung}, {rang}]