dial
verb/ˈdaɪəl/
/ˈdaɪəl/
[transitive, intransitive]Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they dial | /ˈdaɪəl/ /ˈdaɪəl/ |
| he / she / it dials | /ˈdaɪəlz/ /ˈdaɪəlz/ |
| past simple dialled | /ˈdaɪəld/ /ˈdaɪəld/ |
| past participle dialled | /ˈdaɪəld/ /ˈdaɪəld/ |
| (North American English) past simple dialed | /ˈdaɪəld/ /ˈdaɪəld/ |
| (North American English) past participle dialed | /ˈdaɪəld/ /ˈdaɪəld/ |
| -ing form dialling | /ˈdaɪəlɪŋ/ /ˈdaɪəlɪŋ/ |
| (North American English) -ing form dialing | /ˈdaɪəlɪŋ/ /ˈdaɪəlɪŋ/ |
- dial (something) to use a phone by pushing buttons or turning the dial to call a number
- He dialled the number and waited.
- Dial 0033 for France.
Collocations PhonesPhonesMaking and receiving phone calls- the phone/telephone rings
- answer/pick up/hang up the phone/telephone
- lift/pick up/hold/replace the receiver
- dial a (phone/extension/wrong) number/an area code
- call somebody/talk (to somebody)/speak (to somebody) on the phone/telephone; from home/work/the office
- make/get/receive a phone call
- take the phone off the hook (= remove the receiver so that the phone does not ring)
- the line is (British English) engaged/ (especially North American English) busy
- the phones have been (North American English) ringing off the hook (= ringing frequently)
- put somebody through/get through to the person you want to speak to
- put somebody on hold (= so that they must wait for the person they want to speak to)
- call from/use a landline
- be/talk on a (both British English) mobile phone/mobile/(especially North American English) cell phone/(informal, especially North American English) cell
- use/answer/call (somebody on)/get a message on your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
- switch/turn on/off your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
- charge/recharge your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
- a mobile/cell phone is on/is off/rings/goes off
- (British English) top up your mobile/cell (phone)
- send/receive a text (message)/an SMS (message)/a fax
- insert/remove/change a SIM card
Extra ExamplesTopics Phones, email and the internetc1- I dialled her number but there was no reply.
- It was possible to dial direct on the landline in the hotel room.
- She paused a moment before dialling.
Word OriginMiddle English (denoting a mariner's compass): from medieval Latin diale ‘clock dial’, based on Latin dies ‘day’.
Check pronunciation:
dial