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Webster 1913 Edition

Dial

Di′al

,
Noun.
[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
(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.

Di′al

,
Verb.
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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Dial

DIAL

,
Noun.
An instrument for measuring time, by the aid of the sun; being a plate or plain surface, on which lines are drawn in such a manner, that the shadow of a wire, or of the upper edge of another plane, erected perpendicularly on the former, may show the true time of the day. The edge of the plane, which shows the time, is called the stile of the dial, and this must be parallel to the axis of the earth. The line on which this plane is erected, is called the substile; and the angle included between the substile and stile, is called the elevation or highth of the stile. A dial may be horizontal, vertical, or inclining.

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