WordGarden.iotelephone
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /tˈɛlɪfˌəʊn/
US
- /ˈtɛləˌfoʊn/
Meanings
Noun
a device for speaking to someone at a distance
Verb
to call someone by telephone
Beyond the definition
The telephone is a device that lets people speak to each other over a distance. In everyday life, people now often say "phone" instead, but "telephone" still clearly means the same basic thing. It can refer to the object itself, such as a landline telephone, and it can also be used as a verb meaning to call someone.
You might telephone a friend in the evening, get a telephone call from a doctor's office, or talk over the telephone with family in another city. The word is common in careful or slightly old-fashioned English, while "phone" is more common in casual speech.
The telephone is a system or device used to carry spoken communication across a distance. In its traditional sense, it means the familiar device used for voice calls, especially a landline with wires. In modern use, it may also refer more generally to phones used for calling, even though many speakers now prefer simply "phone."
The word can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it can name the device, a telephone line, or communication by this method, as in "a telephone conversation" or "a telephone interview." As a verb, it means to call someone: "She telephoned her brother after work." This verb form is correct and common in formal or neutral English, though in casual speech many people say "call" or "phone" instead.
The word also appears in set phrases and older-style expressions, and it is still easy for all English speakers to understand. In some contexts it sounds slightly formal, technical, or old-fashioned, but the meaning remains simple: spoken communication carried from one place to another by phone.
Examples
- 1
Home
There was no telephone in the apartment, so we had to go next door to make a call.
- 2
Contact details
I wrote down her telephone number on the back of the receipt.
- 3
Conversation
We spoke on the telephone for nearly an hour.
- 4
Booking
You can book an appointment by telephone or through the website.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Formal verb
He telephoned his parents as soon as he got to London.
- Usagetelephone someone
call someone; more formal than "phone"
- 6
Arrival planning
Please telephone ahead if you're going to arrive after six.
- Phrasetelephone ahead
call before you arrive
- 7
Service outage
The storm knocked out telephone service across the whole area.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- face-to-face conversation
Used with (collocations)
- answer the telephone
- telephone number
- telephone call
- telephone line
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- telephonenounverb
Forms
- telephonespluralnounverb
- telephonedpast tenseverbnoun
- telephoning-ing formverbnoun