ding

n. the short, high sound that a small bell or a machine makes.

n. a high-pitched, resonant sound characteristic of a small bell or an electronic notification.

“The microwave made a loud ding to let me know the food was ready.”

“The constant ding of incoming notifications on his phone made it impossible for him to focus on the lecture.”

n. a very small mark or dent on something, like a car door or a surfboard.

n. a minor surface indentation or chip caused by a light impact.

“I found a tiny ding on my car door after parking at the supermarket.”

“The rental agency ignored the small ding on the bumper, classifying it as standard wear and tear rather than significant damage.”

Informal

v. to take away points or money as a small punishment.

v. to penalise or deduct points, often in an evaluative or financial context.

“The teacher will ding you for every spelling mistake in your essay.”

“The credit bureau will ding your score if you fail to make your loan repayments on time.”

Informal · American English

v. to hit something and leave a small mark or dent.

v. to cause minor physical damage through a light collision or strike.

“He accidentally dinged the table while moving the heavy chairs.”

“The hail was large enough to ding the roof of the car, though the windows remained intact.”

Informal

n. a type of ancient Chinese pot with legs and a lid.

n. a prehistoric and ancient Chinese cauldron, standing on legs with a lid and two facing handles.

“The museum has a bronze ding from the Shang dynasty.”

“The ritual ding served as a symbol of authority and status during the Western Zhou period.”

Technical