ping
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A packet which a remote host is expected to echo, thus indicating its presence.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
pingIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɪŋ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
networking
A packet which a remote host is expected to echo, thus indicating its presence.
A sharp high-pitched resonant sound (as of a sonar echo or a bullet striking metal)
A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
networking
Latency.
verb
networking
To send a packet in order to determine whether a host is present, particularly by use of the ping utility.
Make a short high-pitched sound
“The bullet pinged when they struck the car.”
by extension
To send an email or other message to someone in hopes of eliciting a response.
colloquial
To flick.
colloquial
To penalize.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (networking) A packet which a remote host is expected to echo, thus indicating its presence.
Used this way, ping is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use ping
- “The bullet pinged when they struck the car.”verb
- “The car pinged when I put in low-octane gasoline.”verb
- “I'll ping my accountant--April 15 is nearing.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A table used for playing table tennis.
A game (trademark Ping-Pong) resembling tennis but played on a table with paddles and a light hollow ball.
Light hollow ball used in playing table tennis.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.