ringer

/ˈrɪŋə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈrɪŋər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈriŋ-ər/ (ame, mw)

ringer — 名詞

  • ringersingular
  • ringersplural

1. The part of a telephone or other device that produces a sound to alert you about

1.名詞B2
釋義

來電鈴聲

電話等裝置的通知鈴聲

The part of a telephone or other device that produces a sound to alert you about an incoming call or alarm.

例句

Karim turned off the ringer on his phone before the meeting started.

Karim 在會議開始前關掉了手機的來電鈴聲。

turn off the ringer

Astrid could not hear the ringer because the TV in the kitchen was too loud.

Astrid 聽不到來電鈴聲，因為廚房裡的電視開得太大了。

同義詞
  • buzzer

    a device that makes a buzzing rather than ringing sound; used in alarms and timers

  • alarm

    a broader term for any alerting mechanism, not limited to phones

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

❌I changed my ringer to a pop song.
✅I changed my ringtone to a pop song.
💡'ringer' is the device; 'ringtone' is the sound file it plays.

2. Someone who operates the ropes to make church bells sound, often as part of a tr

2.名詞B2
釋義

敲鐘人

操作教堂鐘的人

Someone who operates the ropes to make church bells sound, often as part of a trained group.

例句

Matthew became a church bell ringer after joining the local tower group.

Matthew 加入當地鐘樓小組後，成了一名教堂敲鐘人。

church bell ringer

Nala practiced for months before she qualified as a ringer at the cathedral.

Nala 練習了數月，才取得在大教堂擔任敲鐘人的資格。

同義詞
  • 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

❌The ringer at the front door was broken.
✅The doorbell was broken.
💡'ringer' for a person who rings bells, not the bell itself.

3. Someone or an animal taking part in a contest under a false identity so the team

3.名詞C1
釋義

冒名者

偽裝身分參加比賽作弊的人或動物

Someone or an animal taking part in a contest under a false identity so the team can win by cheating.

例句

The team used Eitan as a ringer in the final match and got caught.

球隊在決賽中使用 Eitan 冒充其他選手，結果被抓到。

use [someone] as a ringer

Imran suspected the new boxer was a ringer because his skill seemed far too high.

Imran 懷疑新來的拳擊手是冒名者，因為他的技術實在太高超了。

同義詞
  • impostor

    someone who pretends to be another person; broader meaning than competition context

  • ring-in

    Australian and NZ informal term for a substitute or impostor in a team

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

❌The substitute player was a ringer for the injured star.
✅The substitute player filled in for the injured star.
💡'ringer' implies cheating, not a fair substitution.

4. In the game of horseshoes, a throw in which the metal ring lands around the cent

4.名詞C2
釋義

套中

擲套遊戲中套中樁柱的得分

In the game of horseshoes, a throw in which the metal ring lands around the central peg to earn points.

例句

Élise threw a perfect ringer that landed right around the metal stake.

Élise 投出完美的套中，馬蹄鐵正好落在金屬樁柱上。

Cole scored three ringers in a row and easily won the horseshoe contest.

Cole 連續三次套中，輕鬆贏得了馬蹄鐵比賽。

score a 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

❌He hit the bullseye and called it a ringer.
✅He hit the bullseye in darts.
💡'ringer' only applies to ring-shaped projectiles that encircle a stake.

5. A person who looks extremely similar to another person, often almost identical i

5.名詞B2
釋義

酷似者

長得和另一個人極像的人

A person who looks extremely similar to another person, often almost identical in appearance.

例句

Paloma is a dead ringer for the actress who played the queen in that film.

Paloma 跟電影裡飾演女王的那位女演員長得一模一樣。

dead ringer for

Yan walked in and everyone said he was a ringer for his older brother.

Yan 一走進門，大家都說他跟他哥哥簡直是一個模子刻出來的。

同義詞
  • 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

❌That cake is a ringer for the one my mom makes.' (slightly odd)
✅That cake looks just like the one my mom makes.
💡'ringer' for people is natural; for objects it can sound forced.

6. A vehicle whose identity has been changed through fake registration numbers or a

6.名詞C2
釋義

變造贓車

更改車籍資料的失竊車輛

A vehicle whose identity has been changed through fake registration numbers or altered markings to hide the fact that it was stolen.

例句

The police seized the van because it was a ringer with a different engine number.

警方扣押了那輛貨車，因為引擎號碼不符，確定是變造贓車。

vehicle identified as a ringer

Criminals sold the stolen car as a ringer to an unsuspecting buyer in another city.

罪犯將失竊汽車換上假車籍資料，再賣給另一個城市的不知情買家。

同義詞
  • 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.

常見錯誤

❌Someone stole my bike — it is a ringer now.
✅Someone stole my bike.
💡'ringer' specifically means the vehicle's identity has been disguised, not simply stolen.