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Glite Dictionary
to send a ping

to send a ping

4.1
To make a short message to check if someone is online
  • phrasal verb
  • Jargon
translation icon : enviar un ping
  • You can send a ping to your friend to check if he's online.

Examples

  • I will send a ping to the server.

  • Please send a ping to confirm your attendance.

  • Before the meeting starts, I'll send a ping to confirm everyone received the invite.

  • Let me send a ping to the server to see if it's up.

  • You can easily send a ping to the server to check if it is online.

  • When my friend is on vacation, I like to send a ping to see if she's having fun.

  • I usually send a ping to my colleagues before a meeting to ensure they are available.

Synonyms

to buzz
vsto send a ping
50 4.6

To press a buzzer to call someone, for example at a door

is used generally to test availability, not only for door or entry calls
to beep
vsto send a ping
  • Archaic
45 4.2

To send a short electronic signal to call someone

applies more widely to electronic contact beyond pager summons
to ping
vsto send a ping
  • Specialized
18 4.1

To send a signal to another device to check connection

is the more general, nontechnical term used across people and contexts
to give a shout
vsto send a ping
  • Informal
1 5.1

Call or message someone to let them know something

is a quick electronic signal to check availability rather than informal contact

Surface Forms

send a ping infinitive
sending a ping present participle
sends a ping third person singular
sent a ping past
sent a ping past participle

Morphology

send + a + ping

The meaning is directly compositional: 'send' (cause to be delivered) plus 'ping' (a quick message or signal) yields 'send a quick message/signal to check responsiveness.' The determiner 'a' is semantically neutral and, while 'ping' can be technical jargon, if a learner knows the constituent words the overall sense is immediately derivable.

Etymology

Send a ping comes from a simple computer test that sent a short ping sound, like a sonar click, to see if a machine would answer. So, to send a ping today means to send a quick message or signal to 'check' if someone or something is online or available.