Ring finger

Ring Ring, n. [AS. hring, hrinc; akin to Fries. hring, D. & G. ring, OHG. ring, hring, Icel. hringr, DAn. & SW. ring; cf. Russ. krug'. Cf. {Harangue}, {Rank} a row,{Rink}.] A circle, or a circular line, or anything in the form of a circular line or hoop. [1913 Webster]

2. Specifically, a circular ornament of gold or other precious material worn on the finger, or attached to the ear, the nose, or some other part of the person; as, a wedding ring. [1913 Webster]

Upon his thumb he had of gold a ring. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

The dearest ring in Venice will I give you. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. A circular area in which races are or run or other sports are performed; an arena. [1913 Webster]

Place me, O, place me in the dusty ring, Where youthful charioteers contend for glory. --E. Smith. [1913 Webster]

4. An inclosed space in which pugilists fight; hence, figuratively, prize fighting. ``The road was an institution, the ring was an institution.'' --Thackeray. [1913 Webster]

5. A circular group of persons. [1913 Webster]

And hears the Muses in a ring Aye round about Jove's alter sing. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

6. (Geom.) (a) The plane figure included between the circumferences of two concentric circles. (b) The solid generated by the revolution of a circle, or other figure, about an exterior straight line (as an axis) lying in the same plane as the circle or other figure. [1913 Webster]

7. (Astron. & Navigation) An instrument, formerly used for taking the sun's altitude, consisting of a brass ring suspended by a swivel, with a hole at one side through which a solar ray entering indicated the altitude on the graduated inner surface opposite. [1913 Webster]

8. (Bot.) An elastic band partly or wholly encircling the spore cases of ferns. See Illust. of {Sporangium}. [1913 Webster]

9. A clique; an exclusive combination of persons for a selfish purpose, as to control the market, distribute offices, obtain contracts, etc. [1913 Webster]

The ruling ring at Constantinople. --E. A. Freeman. [1913 Webster]

{Ring armor}, armor composed of rings of metal. See {Ring mail}, below, and {Chain mail}, under {Chain}.

{Ring blackbird} (Zo["o]l.), the ring ousel.

{Ring canal} (Zo["o]l.), the circular water tube which surrounds the esophagus of echinoderms.

{Ring dotterel}, or {Ringed dotterel}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Dotterel}, and Illust. of {Pressiroster}.

{Ring dropper}, a sharper who pretends to have found a ring (dropped by himself), and tries to induce another to buy it as valuable, it being worthless.

{Ring fence}. See under {Fence}.

{Ring finger}, the third finger of the left hand, or the next the little finger, on which the ring is placed in marriage.

{Ring formula} (Chem.), a graphic formula in the shape of a closed ring, as in the case of benzene, pyridine, etc. See Illust. under {Benzene}.

{Ring mail}, a kind of mail made of small steel rings sewed upon a garment of leather or of cloth.

{Ring micrometer}. (Astron.) See {Circular micrometer}, under {Micrometer}.

{Saturn's rings}. See {Saturn}.

{Ring ousel}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Ousel}.

{Ring parrot} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of Old World parrakeets having a red ring around the neck, especially {Pal[ae]ornis torquatus}, common in India, and {Pal[ae]ornis Alexandri} of {Java}.

{Ring plover}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The ringed dotterel. (b) Any one of several small American plovers having a dark ring around the neck, as the semipalmated plover ({[AE]gialitis semipalmata}).

{Ring snake} (Zo["o]l.), a small harmless American snake ({Diadophis punctatus}) having a white ring around the neck. The back is ash-colored, or sage green, the belly of an orange red.

{Ring stopper}. (Naut.) See under {Stopper}.

{Ring thrush} (Zo["o]l.), the ring ousel.

{The prize ring}, the ring in which prize fighters contend; prize fighters, collectively.

{The ring}. (a) The body of sporting men who bet on horse races. [Eng.] (b) The prize ring. [1913 Webster]