Meaning

verb operate a dial to select a telephone number

noun the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours

noun the control on a radio or television set that is used for tuning

originThe original meaning was 'sundial' and/or 'clock dial'; from Middle English diall, from Middle French dyal, from Latin diālis (“daily, concerning the day”), because of its use in telling the time of day, from Latin diēs (“day”). Compare Spanish dial and día (“day”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0