ringer
ringer — noun
1. The part of a telephone or other device that produces a sound to alert you about
The part of a telephone or other device that produces a sound to alert you about an incoming call or alarm.
Karim turned off the ringer on his phone before the meeting started.
turn off the ringer
Astrid could not hear the ringer because the TV in the kitchen was too loud.
The school secretary checked the ringer volume after missing three calls in a row.
A broken ringer meant no one heard the fire alarm until the smoke appeared.
用法筆記
Refers to the hardware component that makes the sound, not the ringtone melody itself. Common in phrases like 'turn off the ringer' or 'ringer volume'.
常見錯誤
2. Someone who operates the ropes to make church bells sound, often as part of a tr
Someone who operates the ropes to make church bells sound, often as part of a trained group.
Matthew became a church bell ringer after joining the local tower group.
church bell ringer
Nala practiced for months before she qualified as a ringer at the cathedral.
Every Sunday morning the bell ringer climbed the tower to call people to worship.
The village ringer taught the new students how to pull the ropes in sequence.
- bellman
an older, less common term for someone who rings a bell publicly
- campanologist
a formal term for someone who studies or rings church bells
用法筆記
Almost always refers to church bell ringing specifically, not doorbells or handbells. In British English the activity is called 'bell-ringing'.
常見錯誤
3. Someone or an animal taking part in a contest under a false identity so the team
Someone or an animal taking part in a contest under a false identity so the team can win by cheating.
The team used Eitan as a ringer in the final match and got caught.
use [someone] as a ringer
Imran suspected the new boxer was a ringer because his skill seemed far too high.
Minh's horse was disqualified when the judges proved it was a ringer from another stable.
The tournament referee checked every player's identity to make sure no ringer was competing.
用法筆記
Originally from racing slang, where a fast horse was secretly substituted for a slower one. The deception is the key element — without intent to cheat, it is not a ringer.
常見錯誤
4. In the game of horseshoes, a throw in which the metal ring lands around the cent
In the game of horseshoes, a throw in which the metal ring lands around the central peg to earn points.
Élise threw a perfect ringer that landed right around the metal stake.
Cole scored three ringers in a row and easily won the horseshoe contest.
score a ringer
At the county fair Aiko threw a ringer that circled the iron peg with a loud clang.
The crowd cheered when the last throw of the game was a perfect ringer.
用法筆記
This sense is specific to horseshoes and quoits — games where a metal ring is thrown at a peg. Not used for other target games like darts or archery.
常見錯誤
5. A person who looks extremely similar to another person, often almost identical i
A person who looks extremely similar to another person, often almost identical in appearance.
Paloma is a dead ringer for the actress who played the queen in that film.
dead ringer for
Yan walked in and everyone said he was a ringer for his older brother.
The TikTok influencer was a ringer for a famous singer from the 1990s.
Maeve showed a photo of her grandmother who was a ringer for the star Rita.
- look-alike
neutral term for someone who resembles another; less emphatic than 'ringer'
- doppelgänger
suggests an uncanny or mysterious resemblance, often with a supernatural tone
- spitting image
informal idiom for an exact likeness, similar intensity to 'dead ringer'
用法筆記
Very often used with 'dead' — 'a dead ringer' — which adds emphasis. Can describe both people and things, though people is far more common.
常見錯誤
6. A vehicle whose identity has been changed through fake registration numbers or a
A vehicle whose identity has been changed through fake registration numbers or altered markings to hide the fact that it was stolen.
The police seized the van because it was a ringer with a different engine number.
vehicle identified as a ringer
Criminals sold the stolen car as a ringer to an unsuspecting buyer in another city.
The detective found three ringers during the raid on the illegal garage.
A mechanic spotted the ringer when the chassis number did not match the documents.
- cloned car
a stolen car given the identity of a legally registered vehicle of the same model
- hot car
slang for any stolen vehicle without specifying identity change
用法筆記
Slang used mainly in law enforcement and automotive contexts. The deception involves changing the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or registration plates.