telephone

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable) A telecommunication device (originally mechanical, and now electronic) used for two-way talking with another person (now often shortened to phone).
2. (countable, historical) The receiver of such a device.
3. (Canada, US, uncountable) The game of Chinese whispers.
4. (Canada, US, figuratively, uncountable) Chinese whispers; a situation in which an initial message has been distorted and misunderstood by being passed from person to person.

Verb

1. (ambitransitive) To (attempt to) contact someone using a telephone.
2. (transitive) To convey (a message) via telephone.

Synonyms

phone

☎️

call

ring

💍

call up

ring up

telephone set

telephony

telephonic

receiver

telephone number

give a ring

dial

phone number

play

play back

put through

radiophone

sound

🔉

speaker

🔈

spiel

strike

switchboard

telegram

telegraph

telephone system

telephonically

the

give someone a ring

make a call

make a phone call

strike up

make a telephone call

Phone Number

exchange operator

place a call

tel.

telegraph instrument

teleef

walter levi

give a bell

blow

give a call

busk

by

cablegram

call in

Chinese whispers

exclaim

fiddle

hit

Translations

téléphone

☎️

teléfono

☎️

Telefon

☎️

telefono

☎️

telefoon

☎️

τηλέφωνο

téléphoner

telefone

☎️

telèfon

☎️

Fernsprecher

☎️

telefonare

☎️

telefonieren

☎️

telefoneren

☎️

telefon

☎️

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈ tɛl.ɪˌfəʊn/

Etymology

First used by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 to refer to the modern instrument, but previous devices had been given this name, which was borrowed from French téléphone. Ultimately from Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle, “afar”) + φωνή (phōnḗ, “voice, sound”).