What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Ring vs Play - What's the difference?

ring | play |

As nouns the difference between ring and play

is that ring is ring (a place where some sports take place; as, a boxing ring) while play is activity for amusement only, especially among the young.

As a verb play is

(lb) to act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.

ring

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), (m), also (m), (m), from (etyl) (m), . More at (l).

Noun

(en noun)
  • (label) A solid object in the shape of a circle.
  • # A circumscribing object, (roughly) circular and hollow, looking like an annual ring, earring, finger ring etc.
  • # A round piece of (precious) metal worn around the finger or through the ear, nose, etc.
  • #* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • The dearest ring in Venice will I give you.
  • # (label) A bird band, a round piece of metal put around a bird's leg used for identification and studies of migration.
  • # A burner on a kitchen stove.
  • # In a jack plug, the connector between the tip and the sleeve.
  • # An instrument, formerly used for taking the sun's altitude, consisting of a brass ring suspended by a swivel, with a hole at one side through which a solar ray entering indicated the altitude on the graduated inner surface opposite.
  • # (label) A flexible band partly or wholly encircling the spore cases of ferns.
  • (label) A group of objects arranged in a circle.
  • # A circular group of people or objects.
  • #* (John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • And hears the Muses in a ring / Aye round about Jove's altar sing.
  • #*{{quote-book, year=1944, author=(w)
  • , title= The Three Corpse Trick, chapter=5 , passage=The hovel stood in the centre of what had once been a vegetable garden, but was now a patch of rank weeds. Surrounding this, almost like a zareba, was an irregular ring of gorse and brambles, an unclaimed vestige of the original common.}}
  • # (label) A formation of various pieces of material orbiting around a planet.
  • # (label) A large circular prehistoric stone construction such as (Stonehenge).
  • A piece of food in the shape of a ring.
  • A place where some sports or exhibitions take place; notably a circular or comparable arena, such as a boxing ring or a circus ring; hence the field of a political contest.
  • * (1672–1710)
  • Place me, O, place me in the dusty ring , / Where youthful charioteers contend for glory.
  • An exclusive group of people, usually involving some unethical or illegal practices.
  • * (Edward Augustus Freeman) (1823-1892)
  • the ruling ring at Constantinople
  • (label) A planar geometrical figure included between two concentric circles.
  • (label) A diacritical mark in the shape of a hollow circle placed above or under the letter; a .
  • (label) An old English measure of corn equal to the coomb or half a quarter.
  • * 1866 , James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England , Volume 1, page 168.
  • The ring is common in the Huntingdonshire accounts of Ramsey Abbey. It was equal to half a quarter, i.e., is identical with the coomb of the eastern counties. —
  • (label) A hierarchical level of privilege in a computer system, usually at hardware level, used to protect data and functionality (also protection ring ).
  • * 2007 , Steve Anson, Steve Bunting, Mastering Windows Network Forensics and Investigation (page 70)
  • Kernel Mode processes run in ring' 0, and User Mode processes run in ' ring 3.
  • (label) Either of the pair of clamps used to hold a telescopic sight to a rifle.
  • Synonyms
    * (circumscribing object) hoop, annulus, torus
    Derived terms
    * annual ring * benzene ring * boxing ring * brass ring * bull ring * calamari ring * chainring * circus ring * class ring * claw ring * coffee ring * D ring * diamond ring * division ring * earring * egg ring * engagement ring * enringed * finger ring * Fomalhaut dust ring * front ring * gas ring * growth ring * key ring/keyring * life ring * limbal ring * local ring * mancude-ring system * neck ring * nose ring * O-ring * oath ring * Olympic Rings * onion ring * pinky ring * piscatory ring * piston ring * planetary ring * prize ring * quotient ring * (w, Ring a Ring o' Roses) * ring-a-levio * ring armor * ring bark/ringbark/ring-bark * ring-billed * ring binder * ring dance * ring dove/ringdove * ring dropper * ring fence * ring finger/ringfinger * ring game * ringlike * ring mail/ringmail * ring of death * Ring of Fire * ring of steel * ring of truth * ring ouzel * ring parrot * ring plover * ring-porous * ring pull * ring rat * ring road * ring snake * ring spanner * ring species * ring spot * ring stand * ring system * ring-tailed * ring theory * ring thrush * ring toplogy * ringed * ringbearer * ringleader * ringlet * ringlike * ringneck * ring-neck(ed) * ringpiece * ringside * ring spot * ringstraked * ringtail * ring-tail(ed) * ringworm * rubber ring * run rings around * signet ring * seal ring * slip ring * smoke ring * snap ring * spy ring * star ring * synonym ring * teething ring * thumb ring * toe ring * token ring * tongue ring * tree ring * wedding ring
    See also
    Image:JO Atlanta 1996 - Boxe.jpg, A boxing ring . Image:Finger ring.jpg, A ring on a finger. Image:Tree rings.jpg, The rings of a tree. Image:Georges Seurat 019.jpg, The circus ring . Image:Bird ringing shandong.JPG, A ring on a bird's leg. Image:Saturn eclipse.jpg, The rings of Saturn.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To surround or enclose.
  • The inner city was ringed with dingy industrial areas.
  • (figuratively) To make an incision around; to girdle.
  • They ringed the trees to make the clearing easier next year.
  • To attach a ring to, especially for identification.
  • Only ringed hogs may forage in the commons.
    We managed to ring 22 birds this morning.
  • To surround or fit with a ring, or as if with a ring.
  • to ring a pig's snout
  • * Shakespeare
  • Ring these fingers.
  • (falconry) To rise in the air spirally.
  • * 1877 , (Gerard Manley Hopkins), :
  • .. how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing ..
    Derived terms
    * ringer

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The resonant sound of a bell, or a sound resembling it.
  • The church bell's ring could be heard the length of the valley.
    The ring of hammer on anvil filled the air.
  • (figuratively) A pleasant or correct sound.
  • The name has a nice ring to it.
  • (colloquial) A telephone call.
  • I’ll give you a ring when the plane lands.
  • Any loud sound; the sound of numerous voices; a sound continued, repeated, or reverberated.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • the ring of acclamations fresh in his ears
  • A chime, or set of bells harmonically tuned.
  • St Mary's has a ring of eight bells.
  • * Fuller
  • as great and tunable a ring of bells as any in the world
    Derived terms
    * give a ring * ringtone

    Verb

  • Of a bell, to produce sound.
  • The bells were ringing in the town.
  • To make (a bell) produce sound.
  • The deliveryman rang the doorbell to drop off a parcel.
  • * Shakespeare
  • The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums, / Hath rung night's yawning peal.
  • (figuratively) To produce the sound of a bell or a similar sound.
  • Whose mobile phone is ringing ?
  • (figuratively) Of something spoken or written, to appear to be, to seem, to sound.
  • That does not ring true.
  • (transitive, colloquial, British, New Zealand) To telephone (someone).
  • I will ring you when we arrive.
  • to resound, reverberate, echo.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
  • So he spoke, and it seemed there was a little halting at first, as of men not liking to take Blackbeard's name in Blackbeard's place, or raise the Devil by mocking at him. But then some of the bolder shouted 'Blackbeard', and so the more timid chimed in, and in a minute there were a score of voices calling 'Blackbeard, Blackbeard', till the place rang again.
  • * 1919 , (Boris Sidis), :
  • It is instructive for us to learn as well as to ponder on the fact that "the very men who looked down with delight, when the sand of the arena reddened with human blood, made the arena ring with applause when Terence in his famous line: ‘Homo sum, Nihil humani alienum puto’ proclaimed the brotherhood of man."
  • To produce music with bells.
  • (Holder)
  • (dated) To repeat often, loudly, or earnestly.
  • Derived terms
    * ring a bell * ring back * ringer * ringing * ring false * ring off * ring off the hook * ring out * ring someone's bell * ring true * ring up * unring

    Etymology 3

    A shortening of (etyl) ; coined by mathematician in 1892. (Reference: Harvey Cohn, Advanced Number Theory , page 49.)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (algebra) An algebraic structure which consists of a set with two binary operations, an additive operation and a multiplicative operation, such that the set is an abelian group under the additive operation, a monoid under the multiplicative operation, and such that the multiplicative operation is distributive with respect to the additive operation.
  • The set of integers, \mathbb{Z}, is the prototypical ring .
  • (algebra) An algebraic structure as above, but only required to be a semigroup under the multiplicative operation, that is, there need not be a multiplicative identity element.
  • The definition of ring without unity allows, for instance, the set 2\mathbb{Z} of even integers to be a ring.
    Hypernyms
    * pseudo-ring * semiring
    Hyponyms
    * commutative ring ** integral domain *** unique factorization domain, Noetherian domain **** principal ideal domain ***** Euclidean domain ****** field
    Derived terms
    * Boolean ring * polynomial ring
    See also
    Image:Latex integers.svg, The ring of integers.

    play

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (lb) To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
  • :
  • *2001 , Annabelle Sabloff, Reordering the Natural World , Univ. of Toronto Press, p.83:
  • *:A youngstergo on vacation, play in the same way that he did with his friends, and so on.
  • *2003 , Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont et al. (eds.), Joining Society: Social Interaction and Learning in Adolescence and Youth , Cambridge Univ. Press, p.52:
  • *:We had to play for an hour, so that meant that we didn't have time to play and joke around.
  • (lb) To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
  • :
  • #(lb) To compete against, in a game.
  • #*{{quote-news, year=2011, date=November 12, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= International friendly: England 1-0 Spain , passage=England will not be catapulted among the favourites for Euro 2012 as a result of this win, but no victory against Spain is earned easily and it is right they take great heart from their efforts as they now prepare to play Sweden at Wembley on Tuesday.}}
  • (label) To take part in amorous activity; to make love, fornicate; to have sex.
  • *1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , II.iv:
  • *:Her proper face / I not descerned in that darkesome shade, / But weend it was my loue, with whom he playd .
  • (lb) To act as the indicated role, especially in a performance.
  • :
  • *{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Katrina G. Claw
  • , title= Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm , volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual.}}
  • To produce music or theatre.
  • # To produce music.
  • #*2007 , Dan Erlewine, Guitar Player Repair Guide (ISBN 0879309210), page 220:
  • #*:If your guitar plays well on fretted strings but annoys you on the open ones, the nut's probably worn out.
  • # To produce music using a musical instrument.
  • #:
  • # To produce music (or a specified song or musical style) using (a specified musical instrument).
  • #:
  • # To use a device to watch or listen to the indicated recording.
  • #:
  • # to be shown.
  • #:
  • # To perform in or at; to give performances in or at.
  • #*2008 , My Life: From Normandy to Hockeytown (ISBN 0966412087), p.30:
  • #*:I got a hold of Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong's agent and I explained to him on the phone that, "I know you're playing' London on Wednesday night. Why don't you come and ' play the Arena in Windsor on Saturday night?"
  • #(lb) To act or perform (a play).
  • #:
  • (lb) To behave in a particular way.
  • #(lb) Contrary to fact, to give an appearance of being.
  • #*(rfdate) Sir (Walter Scott) (1771-1832)
  • #*:Thou canst play the rational if thou wilt.
  • #*1985 , Sharon S. Brehm, Intimate Relationships :
  • #*:Playing hard to get is not the same as slamming the door in someone's face.
  • #*1996 , Michael P. Malone, James J Hill: Empire Builder of the Northwest :
  • #*:Now, surveying his final link, he had the nice advantage of being able to play coy with established port cities that desperately wanted his proven railroad.
  • #*2003 , John U. Ogbu, Black American Students in an Affluent Suburb: A Study of Academic Disengagement , p.194:
  • #*:Instead, they played dumb, remained silent, and did their classwork.
  • #(lb) To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be careless.
  • #*(rfdate) Sir (1628–1699):
  • #*:Men are apt to play with their healths.
  • #(lb) To act; to behave; to practice deception.
  • #*(rfdate) (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616):
  • #*:His mother played false with a smith.
  • #(lb) To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute.
  • #:
  • #*(rfdate) (John Milton) (1608-1674):
  • #*:Nature here / Wantoned as in her prime, and played at will / Her virgin fancies.
  • #*
  • #*:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
  • (lb) To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate.
  • :
  • *(rfdate) (1671-1743):
  • *:The heart beats, the blood circulates, the lungs play .
  • *
  • *:The colonel and his sponsor made a queer contrast: Greystone [the sponsor] long and stringy, with a face that seemed as if a cold wind was eternally playing on it.
  • (lb) To move gaily; to disport.
  • *(rfdate) (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616):
  • *:even as the waving sedges play with wind
  • *(rfdate) (Joseph Addison) (1672-1719):
  • *:The setting sun / Plays on their shining arms and burnished helmets.
  • *(rfdate) (Alexander Pope) (1688-1744):
  • *:All fame is foreign but of true desert, / Plays round the head, but comes not to the heart.
  • (lb) To put in action or motion.
  • :
  • (lb) To keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order to land it.
  • Noun

  • Activity for amusement only, especially among the young.
  • * Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
  • She was fond of all boys' plays , and greatly preferred cricket
  • (uncountable) Similar activity, in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills.
  • (uncountable, ethology) "Repeated, incompletely functional behavior differing from more serious versions ..., and initiated voluntarily when ... in a low-stress setting."
  • The conduct, or course of a game.
  • (countable) An individual's performance in a sport or game.
  • (countable) (turn-based games ) An action carried out when it is one's turn to play.
  • (countable) A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue.
  • (countable) A theatrical performance featuring actors.
  • We saw a two-act play in the theatre.
  • (countable) A major move by a business.
  • (countable) A geological formation that contains an accumulation or prospect of hydrocarbons or other resources.
  • (uncountable) The extent to which a part of a mechanism can move freely.
  • No wonder the fanbelt is slipping: there’s too much play in it.
    Too much play in a steering wheel may be dangerous.
  • (uncountable, informal) Sexual role-playing.
  • * 1996 , Sabrina P Ramet, Gender reversals and gender cultures
  • The rarity of male domination in fantasy play is readily explained.
  • * 1996 , "toptigger", (on Internet newsgroup alt.personals.spanking.punishment )
  • Palm Springs M seeks sane F 4 safe bdsm play
  • * 2013 , Rachel Kramer Bussel, Best Bondage Erotica 2014
  • There were none of the usual restrictions on public nudity or sexual interaction in the club environment. Still, the night was young, and as he'd made his way to the bar to order Mistress Ramona a gin and tonic, he'd seen little in the way of play .
  • * 2014 , Jiri T. Servant, Facts About Bondage - Bondage Guide For Beginners
  • This type of play allows some people to relax and enjoy being given pleasure without having to think about giving pleasure back at the same time.
  • (countable) A button that, when pressed, causes media to be played.
  • Synonyms

    * (literary composition) drama * See also

    Derived terms

    * airplay * all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy * at play * bloodplay * child's play * close of play * double play * downplay * fair play * fireplay * force play * foreplay * foul play * grandstand play * learn to play * long play * nativity play * mystery play * outdoor play * passion play * pissplay * playact/play-act * play about * play along * play around * play back * play ball * playbill * playboy * play by ear * play by play, play-by-play * play date, playdate * play dead * play doctor * playdough * play down * play dumb * player * play fair * play fast and loose * play fight/play-fight/playfight * play for love * playful * play games * playground * play hardball * play hard to get * play hob with * play hooky * play house * playhouse * play in * play it by ear * play it safe * play lunch * playmate * play money * playoff/play-off/play off * play Old Harry * play on * play one against another * play one's cards right * play on words * playout/play out * playpen * play possum * playroom * playschool * play second fiddle * play silly buggers * play someone like a fiddle * playsuit * play the angles * play the devil * play the field * play the fool * play the hand one is dealt * play the ponies * play the race card * play the same tape * play the white man * plaything * playtime * play to the gallery * play to win * play truant * play up * play upon * playwear * play with * play with fire * play with oneself * playwright * plug-and-play * power play * quad play * radio play * rain stopped play * roleplay/role play/role-play * screen play/screenplay * shadow play * squeeze play * triple play * turnabout is fair play * two can play that game * war play * when the cat's away the mice will play * word play/wordplay

    See also

    (wikipedia play) * outdoor

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----