dial
part of speech
noun (a dial, dials); verb (dial, dials, dialled/dialed, dialling/dialing)
meaning for a pupil
1) A dial is the round face of a clock, watch or measuring instrument, with numbers and a pointer. tree →
2) A dial is a round control that you turn to change something, like the volume or the oven temperature. tree →
3) To dial a number is to press or turn the numbers to make a phone call. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: It means a stairway or steps on which a shadow showed the time, called the dial of Ahaz. Interpretation: When King Hezekiah was ill, the shadow went back ten steps as a sign of his healing. Tradition counts it as a great miracle. In the primary lessons: In maths and science, reading a dial is like reading a scale: look where the pointer is and count the steps between the numbers. In everyday life and safety you dial 999 (UK, Ireland), 911 (USA, Canada), 000 (Australia) or 111 (New Zealand) in an emergency. Phrases: dial a number, turn the dial, a clock dial, dial up, dial down.
examples
- And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD; and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz. (Prophets 2KI.20.11, JPS 1917) tree →
- behold, I will cause the shadow of the dial, which is gone down on the sun-dial of Ahaz, to return backward ten degrees.' So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down. (Prophets ISA.38.8, JPS 1917) tree →
- Turn the dial to make the radio louder. tree →
- The pointer on the dial showed 40 degrees. tree →
- In an emergency, dial 999. tree →
- She dialled her grandma's number. tree →
- The kitchen scales have a dial instead of a screen. tree →
- The watch has a blue dial. tree →
- Read the dial carefully before you write down the reading. tree →
- But go to my brother who grows round the old sun-dial, and perhaps he will give you what you want.” tree →
note
Verb spelling: British dialled, dialling (double l); American dialed, dialing. Countable noun: a dial, dials. Maths trap: when reading a dial, check what each small mark stands for; it may count by 2, 5 or 10.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «dial» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.