rotary dial

noun

a disk with finger holes, used to enter numbers by rotating the disk forward and letting it slide back

Similar
rotary phone
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Meanings

nounrotary dial (plural rotary dials)

plural rotary dials · alternative rotary-dial

  1. a disk with finger holes, used to enter numbers by rotating the disk forward and letting it slide back
  2. a telephone with such a disk

    Synonyms: rotary phone

adjectiverotary dial (not comparable)

alternative rotary-dial

  1. not comparableusing a rotary dial, rather than push buttons

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna telephone with such a disk

Similar
rotary phone

Translations

German Wählscheibe, Drehscheibe
  • Wählscheibedisk with finger holes
  • Drehscheibedisk with finger holes
  • Wählscheibentelefonkind of telephone
  • Drehscheibentelefonkind of telephone
  • Drehtelefonkind of telephone
Polish tarcza numerowa, telefon z tarczą numerową
  • tarcza numerowadisk with finger holes
  • telefon z tarczą numerowąkind of telephone
Swedish nummerskiva, fingerskiva
  • nummerskivadisk with finger holes
  • fingerskivadisk with finger holes
  • petmojdisk with finger holes
  • snurrtelefonkind of telephone
Cite this entry
APA

rotary dial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotary%20dial

MLA

“rotary dial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotary%20dial. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rotary dial,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotary%20dial.

Source: rotary dial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.