ring

(rĭng)

1. A circular object, form, line, or arrangement with a vacant circular center.
2. A small circular band, generally made of precious metal and often set with jewels, worn on the finger.
3. A circular band used for carrying, holding, or containing something: a napkin ring.
4. rings Sports. A pair of circular metal bands suspended in the air for gymnastic exercises, on which balancing and swinging maneuvers are performed while holding the bands as motionless as possible.
5. A circular movement or course, as in dancing.
6. An enclosed, usually circular area in which exhibitions, sports, or contests take place: a circus ring.
7. Sports.
   1. A rectangular arena set off by stakes and ropes in which boxing or wrestling events are held.
   2. The sport of boxing.
8. Games.
   1. An enclosed area in which bets are placed at a racetrack.
   2. Bookmakers considered as a group.
9. An exclusive group of people acting privately or illegally to advance their own interests: a drug ring.
10. A political contest; a race.
11. Botany. An annual ring.
12. Mathematics. The area between two concentric circles; annulus.
13. Mathematics. A set of elements subject to the operations of addition and multiplication, in which the set is an abelian group under addition and associative under multiplication and in which the two operations are related by distributive laws.
14. Any of the turns constituting a spiral or helix.
15. Chemistry. A group of atoms linked by bonds that may be represented graphically in circular or triangular form. Also called closed chain.

1. To surround with or as if with a ring; encircle. See synonyms at surround.
2. To form into a ring or rings.
3. To ornament or supply with a ring or rings: ringed the door knocker with a wreath of holly.
4. To remove a circular strip of bark around the circumference of (a tree trunk or branch); girdle.
5. To put a ring in the nose of (an animal).
6. To hem in (animals) by riding in a circle around them.
7. Games. To toss a ring over (a peg), as in horseshoes.

1. To form a ring or rings.
2. To move, run, or fly in a spiral or circular course.

[Middle English, from Old English hring.]

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noun

1. A closed plane curve everywhere equidistant from a fixed point or something shaped like this: band¹, circle, circuit, disk, gyre, wheel. Archaic orb. See geometry.
2. A length of line folded over and joined at the ends so as to form a curve or circle: eye, loop. See straight/bent.
3. A group of individuals united in a common cause: bloc, cartel, coalition, combination, combine, faction, party. See group.
4. An organized group of criminals, hoodlums, or wrongdoers: band², gang, pack. Informal mob. See group.

verb

1. To encircle with or as if with a band: band¹, begird, belt, cincture, compass, encompass, engirdle, gird, girdle, girt. Archaic engird. See edge/center.
2. To shut in on all sides: begird, beset, circle, compass, encircle, encompass, environ, gird, girdle, hedge, hem, surround. See open/close.

Idioms beginning with ring:
ring a bell
ring down the curtain on
ring true
ring one's chimes
ringside seat
ring the changes

See also brass ring; give someone a ring; have a familiar ring; run rings around; three-ring circus; throw one's hat in the ring.

Rings worn by Mary Nevill, Baroness Dacre, 1559.

A finger ring is a circular band worn as a type of ornamental jewellery around the finger; it is the most common current meaning of the word ring. Other types of metal rings worn as ornaments are also called rings, such as earrings, arm rings, toe rings and neck rings.

Rings can be of almost any material: metal, plastic, wood, bone, glass, gemstone to name a few. They may be set with a stone of some sort, which is often a precious or semi-precious gemstone such as diamond, ruby, sapphire or emerald, but can also be of almost any material.

Contents 1 History of rings 1.1 Ancient Near East 1.2 Archaic and classical Greek 2 Finger-ring wearing, choice of fingers 3 Styles of ring 3.1 Notable individual rings 4 Other types 5 See also 6 Notes and references 7 External links

History of rings

The parts of a ring. 1:Ring 2:Shoulder 3:Bezel 4:Jewel

The custom of giving and receiving finger rings dates back over approximately 6,000 years. The exact history of other ring-shaped jewellery is not always so easy to trace.^[1]

Ancient Near East

The Hittite civilization produced rings including signet rings, but few have been found.^[2] Old Kingdom Egypt made use of finger rings, and a few basic examples have been found.^[2] Egyptian ring wearing appears to have become more common in the middle kingdom with increasingly complex designs as time goes on.^[2] Larger-sized examples started to appear.^[2] The various Egyptian styles where replaced by Greek and Roman fashions during the Ptolemaic dynasty.^[2]

Archaic and classical Greek

Archaic greek rings were to some extent influenced by Egyptian rings although they tended to be less substantial and apparently weren't for the most part used as working signet rings.^[3] Around 500BC the uniquely Greek lion ring appeared in Etruria.^[3] A lack of locally available gold meant that rings made in the eastern colonies tended to be made from silver and bronze while Etruria used gold.^[3]

The classical period showed a shift away from bronze with silver and gold predominating. The most typical design of the period involved a lozenge bezel mounting an intaglio device.^[4] Over time the bezel moved towards a more circular form.^[4]

Finger-ring wearing, choice of fingers

The fourth digit or ring finger of the left hand has become the customary place to wear a wedding ring in much of the world, though in certain countries the right hand finger is used.^[5] This custom was practically established as the norm during World War II.^[6] The use of the fourth finger of the left hand is associated with an old belief that the left hand's ring finger is connected by a vein directly to the heart: the vena amoris or vein of love. This idea was known in 16th and 17th century England, when Henry Swinburne referred to it in his book about marriage.^[7] It can be traced back to ancient Rome, when Aulus Gellius cited Appianus as saying the ancient Egyptians had found a fine nerve linking that particular finger to the heart.^[8]

Styles of ring

Ring	Image	Usage
Aqiq ring		A carnelian or agate ring worn by some Muslims, especially Shi'ah, in imitation of Muhammad.
Brass Rat		A unique class ring worn by graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, bearing the image of the school's mascot, a beaver[9] .
Birthstones ring		Usually a slender, simple ring (sometimes consisting of a band), set with the wearer's birthstone, or the wearer's spouse. These like the Mother's ring can be worn set with various birthstones. Some couples wear birthstones set with a wedding anniversary month birthstone as well as other commemorative stones. This kind of simple stone-set ring is in general most popular with men.
Cameo ring		A plain hoop mounted by a table setting, into which was affixed a carved cameo (in profile). This ring style is exceedingly ancient and was more commonly worn by men than by women. Most commonly, the cameos depicted pagan gods, Christian saints and even self-portraits. Multi-coloured stone and often marble or porphyry was most desirable, as it produced a striped, layered or three-dimensional effect.
Championship ring a.k.a. sports ring		A ring presented to members of winning teams in professional sports leagues as well as college tournaments in America, Mexico and Canada. The best known of these is the Superbowl ring. Also, in professional American sports leagues—such as the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB)—the runner-ups of the league championship game/series is awarded a ring, being the champion of their conference (sub-league).
Claddagh ring		An Irish friendship, courtship or engagement ring. It is traditionally used to indicate the state of romantic availability. In recent times it is commonly worn as a wedding ring. In centuries past, this ring was bequeathed from mother to daughter, though men also wore it.
Class ring		Worn by students and alumni in commemoration of their graduation.
Doctoral ring		A gold ring worn by a scholar who earns a doctoral degree at a Danish university or a Swedish university.
Cocktail ring		An oversized ladies' ring with a large center stone often surrounded by tiny stones. Nearly any oversized ladies' ring may be termed "cocktail". This is the most common type of costume jewellery ring and is also known as a cluster ring and dinner ring.
Ecclesiastical ring		A religious ring, either of authority for clerics or as some other special religious symbol. When worn by bishops or higher-ranking priests, it is called "Episcopal ring".
Engagement ring		A ring given to and worn by a woman signifying her engagement to be married.
Eternity ring		A ring symbolizing eternity with a partner.
Finger armor ring		Typically spans from the base of the finger to just below the nail or middle of the second joint and includes a bending joint. This is a very modern and restricted fashion statement.
Friendship ring		Friendship rings are used to symbolize a close relationship that has no romantic undertone.
Gay Pride ring (a.k.a. "Rainbow ring")		Representing gay pride, usually a band, either set with seven stones or inlaid with seven enamelled lines, in the seven colours representing the Rainbow flag (LGBT movement). In decades past, a stone-set ring worn on the right hand ring finger or the pinky of either hand represented a call for gay equality.
Gimmal ring		Ring made of 2 or 3 hoops that are hinged at the back and meant to interlock and open; popular for betrothals in 16th and 17th century Europe
Iron Ring, a.k.a. Engineer's Ring		Ring worn by American and Canadian engineers, after swearing the Engineer's Oath. This is often in the form of a crudely worked piece of iron; modern rings tend to be sleek steel, some with etched geometric designs. The ring is meant to be worn on the pinky (little) finger of the dominant hand at all times. This ring has been loosely associated with Rudyard Kipling.
Memento mori ‎ring		Largely dating from the late 16th century and through the 17th they featured a skull and the inscription "Memento mori" sometimes combined with other features.[10]
Mood ring		A novelty ring which changes colour in response to body temperature, using a thermochromic liquid crystal.
Mother's ring		A ring worn by a mother displaying the birthstone of each of her children, and sometimes including those of the mother and father.
Mourning ring		A ring worn in memory of someone who has died. Also commonly called a "memorial ring".
Multi-finger ring		Two or more laterally conjoined rings, designed to be worn on two, three, or four fingers; popularized by hip-hop culture.
Pinky ring		A ring worn on the 'pinky' ("little" or "fifth") finger.
Posie ring		A ring with a short inscription on its outer surface. These were commonly used as engagement and even wedding rings. Also referred to as posy or poesy rings
Pre-engagement ring		A small, inexpensive ring given to a partner, to promise not to court a rival.
Promise ring		A ring worn to remind a person of a promise.
Purity ring		A symbol of virginity in some religious cultures.
Puzzle ring		Interlocking rings forming a single band. A famous example is the classic Cartier "triple" wedding ring.
Poison ring		A ring consisting of a bezel with a secret compartment or made in the form of a container, used for keeping medication or poison (anachronistic use).
Regards ring		A Victorian engagement ring with an implicit acrostic: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire.
Rosary ring		Ring worn around the finger with 10 indentations (or protrusions) and a cross, representing one decade of a rosary. The rings are used to keep track of place in the prayer by rotating the ring on a finger and feeling the marks.
Signet ring		An emblematic ring, often bearing a family coat of arms, some of which are fit for use to imprint a wax seal. More commonly, the signet may bear anything from a custom-designed escutheon to simple initials. The latter is commonly known as an initial ring.
Sovereign ring		A typically large, gold ring, set with a gold sovereign as its decorative feature.
SS-Ehrenring		"honour ring" or "ring of honour". Awarded to members of the SS (Schutzstaffel). A similar ring (in the form of a death's head) was also favoured by the SS-SD (Shutzstaffel-Sicherheitdienst), and was rumoured to be very secretive in design. There were in fact several different award rings during the Third Reich.[11]
Thumb ring		This is worn on the thumb and is an extremely ancient custom.
Toe Ring		Toe rings have a peculiar function in India. They are considered a customary ornament to be worn by married women.[12]
Watch ring		A small watch made to be worn as a ring.
Wedding ring		A ring presented in a marriage ceremony to signify marital commitment. Originally worn only by women, it is now common for both spouses to wear such a ring.

Notable individual rings

• Iffland-Ring (presently held by Swiss actor Bruno Ganz.)
• Hans-Reinhart-Ring (presently held by actor Christoph Marthaler.)
• Ring of the Fisherman a.k.a Papal Ring, the signet ring of office of the Pope.

Other types

• Arm rings
• Neck rings
• Toe rings are smaller rings worn on any of the toes
• Earring

See also

• Ring size
• Ring finger
• Birthstones
• Ring of O
• Seal of Solomon (Solomon's ring, a.k.a ring of Solomon)
• Ring of Gyges
• Torc, or neck ring
• Posie ring
• Titanium ring
• Jewellery cleaning
• Scarf rings[1]

Notes and references

1. ^ Jones, William, (1890) Finger Ring Lore.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Taylor, Gerald; Scarisbrick, Diana (1978). Finger Rings From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day. Ashmolean Museum. p. 31. ISBN 0900090545. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Taylor, Gerald; Scarisbrick, Diana (1978). Finger Rings From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day. Ashmolean Museum. p. 33. ISBN 0900090545. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Taylor, Gerald; Scarisbrick, Diana (1978). Finger Rings From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day. Ashmolean Museum. p. 34. ISBN 0900090545. 
5. ^ Kunz, George Frederick, (1911) Rings for the Finger.
6. ^ McCarthy, James Remington, (1945) Rings Throughout the Ages.
7. ^ Swinburne, "Treatise of Spousal", 1680
8. ^ Gellius, Attic Nights, X, 10
9. ^ McGann, Matt. "The Years of the Rat". Associate Director of Admissions. MIT. http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/the_years_of_the_rat. Retrieved 12 February 2012. 
10. ^ Taylor, Gerald; Scarisbrick, Diana (1978). Finger Rings From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day. Ashmolean Museum. p. 76. ISBN 0900090545. 
11. ^ http://www.germaniainternational.com/ss3.html
12. ^ http://books.google.co.in/books?id=CaRVePXX6vEC&pg=PA113&dq=toe+ring+india&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Ab_rTtrsGYXJrAfM-bWRCQ&ved=0CF0Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=toe%20ring%20india&f=false

External links

• Online Ring Sizer

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Finger rings

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Common misspelling(s) of ringing

• rininging