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. Raymond.
Di"al (?), n. [LL.
dialis daily, fr. L.
dies day. See Deity.]
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 (Zoöl.), 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.
Hear it pronounced