di·al /ˈdaɪ(ə)l/
 (vt.)撥,打電話(vi.)撥,打電話鐘面,刻度盤,撥號盤


 dial
 撥號; 撥號盤; 刻度盤


 dial
 撥號


 Di·al, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dialed or Dialled; p. pr. & vb. n. Dialing or Dialling.]
 1. To measure with a dial.
    Hours of that true time which is dialed in heaven.   --Talfourd.
 2. Mining To survey with a dial.

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 Di·al n.
 1. An instrument, formerly much used for showing the time of day from the shadow of a style or gnomon on a graduated arc or surface; esp., a sundial; but there are lunar and astral dials. The style or gnomon is usually parallel to the earth's axis, but the dial plate may be either horizontal or vertical.
 2. The graduated face of a timepiece, on which the time of day is shown by pointers or hands.
 3. A miner's compass.
 Dial bird Zool., an Indian bird (Copsychus saularius), allied to the European robin. The name is also given to other related species.
 Dial lock, a lock provided with one or more plates having numbers or letters upon them. These plates must be adjusted in a certain determined way before the lock can be operated.
 Dial plate, the plane or disk of a dial or timepiece on which lines and figures for indicating the time are placed.


 dial
      n 1: the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
      2: the control on a radio or television set that is used for
         tuning
      3: the circular graduated indicator on various measuring
         instruments
      4: a disc on a telephone that is rotated a fixed distance for
         each number called [syn: telephone dial]
      v 1: operate a dial to select a telephone number; "You must take
           the receiver off the hook before you dial"
      2: choose by means of a dial; "dial a telephone number"
      [also: dialling, dialled]


 Dial
    for the measurement of time, only once mentioned in the Bible,
    erected by Ahaz (2 Kings 20:11; Isa. 38:8). The Hebrew word
    (ma'aloth) is rendered "steps" in Ex. 20:26, 1 Kings 10:19, and
    "degrees" in 2 Kings 20:9, 10, 11. The _ma'aloth_ was probably
    stairs on which the shadow of a column or obelisk placed on the
    top fell. The shadow would cover a greater or smaller number of
    steps, according as the sun was low or high.

      Probably the sun-dial was a Babylonian invention. Daniel at
    Babylon (Dan. 3:6) is the first to make mention of the "hour."