Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - dial

~1 n 1 the part of a machine or piece of equipment such as a watch, that is usually covered in glass and shows the time or a measurement  (She looked at the dial to check her speed.) 2 the wheel on a telephone with numbered holes for your fingers, that you move around in order to make a call 3 part of a piece of equipment such as a radio, that you turn around to listen to different radio stations ~2 v dialled, dialling BrE dialed, dialing AmE to move the numbered wheel or press the buttons on a telephone in order to make a telephone call