Meaning & use

Dials

noun·Everyday

Last updated

flat, typically circular surfaces marked with a scale, used to display a measurement or to set a control, such as on a clock or instrument panel.

See it in a sentence

The pilot checked all the dials on the cockpit panel before takeoff.

She adjusted the oven's temperature dials before sliding the tray in.

A note on using this word

Also used as a verb, as in "he dials the number," referring to the action of using a rotary or numeric dial to place a call.

Words with a similar meaning

gaugesmeters

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

third-person singular of "dial": enters a telephone number to make a call, or adjusts a setting using a dial.

She dials her mother every Sunday evening.

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