"dial" means: A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
dial
A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
Seen in the wild
12 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
One time when I was probably 6 or 7 my grandma accidentally took dog supplements and made me dial the poison hotline because she thought she was going to die
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BlueskyMay 2026
you are going to miss people you’ll want to get out of bed at two in the morning and drive to go see them you’ll call them even though they changed their number 10 months ago just to hear a dial tone
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BlueskyMay 2026
Ad: For Sale - Cartier W51002Q3 Tank Française LM White Dial SS Mechanical Automatic Watch #Cartier #Watches #LuxuryWatch
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BlueskyMay 2026
Might shift the growth dial by 2034.
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BlueskyMay 2026
Nige keeping the stormtroopers on speed dial ... bylinetimes.com/2026/05/06/r...
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Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
The dial on the dashboard showed the car was nearly out of gas.
Origin: The original meaning was 'sundial' and/or 'clock dial'; from , from , from , because of its use in telling the time of day, from . Compare and day. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
"dial" means: A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"dial" means: A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Heard in the wild
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
A disk with finger holes on a telephone; used to select the number to be called.
“Well, all I can say is that if yer don't take yer dial outer the road I'll bloomin' well take an' bounce a gibber off yer crust.”
Heard in the wild
“One time when I was probably 6 or 7 my grandma accidentally took dog supplements and made me dial the poison hotline because she thought she was going to die”
— Bluesky· May 2026“you are going to miss people you’ll want to get out of bed at two in the morning and drive to go see them you’ll call them even though they changed their number 10 months ago just to hear a dial tone”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Ad: For Sale - Cartier W51002Q3 Tank Française LM White Dial SS Mechanical Automatic Watch #Cartier #Watches #LuxuryWatch”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Might shift the growth dial by 2034.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Nige keeping the stormtroopers on speed dial ... bylinetimes.com/2026/05/06/r...”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#3·Apr 27, 2026
A panel on a radio etc showing wavelengths or channels; a knob that is turned to change the wavelength etc.
His hands were too fat to operate the dial on the telephone.
Heard in the wild
“Ad: For Sale - INVICTA 2971 Subaqua Automatic Diamond Dial & Bezel Men's Watch 40 mm Case #Invicta #MensWatches #LuxuryWatches”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Dial M for Masochism?! Or I remember how they used to teach reading in pre-K ... M, M, for ... Matriarchy!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I liked how the feathers made a sun dial”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Ad: For Sale - GaGa MILANO Hand Wound Watch Black Dial Black Strap Timepiece Authentic #GaGaMILANO #LuxuryWatches #WatchCollector”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I always thought that Dial Tone was Jack Flack”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "dial" (D)
dhobyingdhoondhurmsalladiabetesdiabolicaldiagramdialleddialling codedial outdialyzablediamonddiamond hands
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