5 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Dial \Di"al\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dialed}or {Dialled}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Dialing} or {Dialling}.]
1. To measure with a dial.
Hours of that true time which is dialed in heaven.
--Talfourd.
2. (Mining) To survey with a dial. --Raymond.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Dial \Di"al\, n. [LL. dialis daily, fr. L. dies day. See
{Deity}.]
1. An instrument, formerly much used for showing the time of
day from the shadow of a style or gnomon on a graduated
arc or surface; esp., a sundial; but there are lunar and
astral dials. The style or gnomon is usually parallel to
the earth's axis, but the dial plate may be either
horizontal or vertical.
2. The graduated face of a timepiece, on which the time of
day is shown by pointers or hands.
3. A miner's compass.
{Dial bird} (Zo["o]l.), an Indian bird ({Copsychus
saularius}), allied to the European robin. The name is
also given to other related species.
{Dial lock}, a lock provided with one or more plates having
numbers or letters upon them. These plates must be
adjusted in a certain determined way before the lock can
be operated.
{Dial plate}, the plane or disk of a dial or timepiece on
which lines and figures for indicating the time are
placed.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
dial
n 1: the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
2: the control on a radio or television set that is used for
tuning
3: the circular graduated indicator on various measuring
instruments
4: a disc on a telephone that is rotated a fixed distance for
each number called [syn: {telephone dial}]
v 1: operate a dial to select a telephone number; "You must take
the receiver off the hook before you dial"
2: choose by means of a dial; "dial a telephone number"
[also: {dialling}, {dialled}]
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Dial
for the measurement of time, only once mentioned in the Bible,
erected by Ahaz (2 Kings 20:11; Isa. 38:8). The Hebrew word
(ma'aloth) is rendered "steps" in Ex. 20:26, 1 Kings 10:19, and
"degrees" in 2 Kings 20:9, 10, 11. The _ma'aloth_ was probably
stairs on which the shadow of a column or obelisk placed on the
top fell. The shadow would cover a greater or smaller number of
steps, according as the sun was low or high.
Probably the sun-dial was a Babylonian invention. Daniel at
Babylon (Dan. 3:6) is the first to make mention of the "hour."
From eng-fra [engfra]:
dial
[daiəl]
disque