the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
"He carefully adjusted his watch so that the dial aligned perfectly with the ticking clock on the wall."
the control on a radio or television set that is used for tuning
"I can't turn up the volume because I accidentally bumped the dial while trying to find the local news station."
the circular graduated indicator on various measuring instruments
"The mechanic adjusted the dial on the pressure gauge until it showed the correct reading."
a disc on a telephone that is rotated a fixed distance for each number called
"I reached out and turned the dial on my old rotary phone until it clicked to stop at five."
A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
"The engineer checked the pressure dial on the gauge to ensure the system was operating within safe limits."
In plain English: A dial is a round part with numbers on it that you turn to change a setting, like on an old radio or oven.
"She dialed her father's number on the old phone with its rotary dial."
Usage: Use dial to refer to the circular face of an instrument like a speedometer or thermometer that displays measurements via a moving needle. Do not use it for telephone keypads, which are technically called buttons or keys despite their colloquial association with "dialing."
operate a dial to select a telephone number
"You must take the receiver off the hook before you dial"
To control or select something with a dial, or (figuratively) as if with a dial.
"She carefully dialed back her enthusiasm so she wouldn't overwhelm the new team members during the meeting."
In plain English: To dial means to press the buttons on a phone to make a call.
"I need to dial the number to call my mother."
Usage: Use "dial" as a verb to mean turning a knob or wheel to adjust settings on a device like a stove or radio. It can also be used figuratively to suggest fine-tuning an idea or situation until it reaches the desired state.
A surname.
"The Dial family has lived in that neighborhood for three generations."
Originally meaning "sundial" or "clock face," the word entered English via Middle French from a Latin root referring to anything daily. It was named for this purpose because these instruments were used specifically to tell the time of day.