rung

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ɹʌŋ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌŋ
• Homophone: wrung

From Middle English [Term?], from Old English hrung, from Proto-Germanic *hrungō. Compare Gothic 𐌷𐍂𐌿𐌲𐌲𐌰 (hrugga, “a staff”).

rung (plural rungs)

1. A crosspiece forming a step of a ladder; a round.
2. A crosspiece between legs of a chair.
3. (figuratively) A position in a hierarchy.

   the lowest rung of the society

4. (nautical, dated) A floor timber in a ship.
5. (dated) One of the stakes of a cart; a spar; a heavy staff.
6. (engineering, dated) One of the radial handles projecting from the rim of a steering wheel.
7. (engineering, dated) One of the pins or trundles of a lantern wheel.

See the etymology of the main entry.

rung

1. past participle of ring (only in senses related to a bell)
2. (chiefly dialectal) simple past tense of ring
   • 1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of Sally Salisbury, VI:

     With ecchoing Shouts the vaulted Chamber rung, / Belle Chuck was now the TOAST of ev'ry Tongue.

   • 1906, (Please provide the book title or journal name), page 229:

     Mr. Seibels, in his testimony, said I rung him up to see about labels. He is very much mistaken. I rung him up to see about bottles.

   • 1996, Peter Golenbock, Wrigleyville: A Magical History Tour of the Chicago Cubs, page 435:

     So they rung him up, and the next day he came to me and wanted to know where that pitch was.

   • 2008, Dean Kuipers, Burning Rainbow Farm: How a Stoner Utopia Went Up in Smoke, page 70:

     "I just rung him up, told him I was looking for an apartment and some work and got both of them the same day," Moe said.

rung (not comparable)

1. Of a pig: having a ring through the nose.
   • 1842, American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine (volume 13, page 335)

     […] he passed by his gate with a decided scowl on his furrowed brow, and grunting and growling like a newly rung pig.

   • 1919, Popular Science (volume 95, number 4, page 31)

     A "rung" pig is comfortable as long as he confines his food hunt to the surface of the ground. Ringing a pig of ordinary size is easy, but special arrangements must be made for handling the big ones.

Rang and rung are incorrect for the past of ring in the sense of encircle, where ringed is used instead.

Rung as a simple past is usually considered incorrect.

• Rung in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

• gurn

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [zʊwŋ͡m˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʐʊwŋ͡m˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ɹʊwŋ͡m˧˧]

rung (㧤, 容, 慵, 搈, 𢫝, 𢲣, 𢴋, 𢹈)

1. to put in motion; to shake; to agitate; to ring (bell)