a small circular band, typically of precious metal and often set with one or more gemstones, worn on a finger as an ornament or a token of marriage, engagement, or authority

a diamond ring

he had a silver ring on one finger

a bishop's ring

a ring-shaped or circular object

an inflatable rubber ring

fried onion rings

an enclosed space, surrounded by seating for spectators, in which a sport, performance, or show takes place

a circus ring

a group of people engaged in a shared enterprise, especially one involving illegal or unscrupulous activity

the police had been investigating the drug ring

a number of atoms bonded together to form a closed loop in a molecule

a benzene ring

a set of elements with two binary operations, addition and multiplication, the second being distributive over the first and associative

surround (someone or something), especially for protection or containment

the courthouse was ringed with police

put an aluminium strip round the leg of (a bird) for subsequent identification

only a small proportion of warblers are caught and ringed

fraudulently change the identity of (a motor vehicle), typically by changing its registration plate

there may be an organization which has ringed the stolen car to be resold

make a clear resonant or vibrating sound

a bell rang loudly

his words rang in the clear air

call by telephone

I rang her this morning

she rang to tell him the good news

(of a person's ears) be filled with a continuous buzzing or humming sound, especially as the after-effect of a blow or loud noise

he yelled so loudly that my eardrums rang

an act of ringing a bell, or the resonant sound caused by this

there was a ring at the door

a particular quality conveyed by something heard or expressed

the song had a curious ring of nostalgia to it