Word
dialing
Phoneticsdi·al·ing
/ˈdaɪəɫɪŋ/
UK spelling · dialling
Definition
v. to enter a phone number by pressing buttons or turning a wheel to make a call.
v. the present participle of 'dial'; refers to the act of entering a series of digits into a telephone to establish a connection.
Examples
“She is dialing the emergency number right now.”
“I spent ten minutes dialing the office, but the line was busy every time I tried.”
Examples
simple
“She is dialing the emergency number right now.”
contextual
“I spent ten minutes dialing the office, but the line was busy every time I tried.”
Usage
Transitive or intransitive; can be used with or without a direct object (the number).
Pitfall
I am dialing to him
I am dialing his number
Dial is transitive and takes the number or person as a direct object without the preposition 'to'.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/dialing