Dictionary
1telephone
noun, tele·phone often attributive \ˈte-lə-ˌfōn\
: a system that uses wires and radio signals to send sounds (such as people's voices) over long distances
: a device that is connected to a telephone system and that you use to listen or speak to someone who is somewhere else
Full Definition of TELEPHONE
: an instrument for reproducing sounds at a distance; specifically : one in which sound is converted into electrical impulses for transmission (as by wire or radio waves)
See telephone defined for English-language learners
See telephone defined for kids
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First Known Use of TELEPHONE
1844
Rhymes with TELEPHONE
acetone, allophone, altar stone, anglophone, anklebone, barbitone, baritone, bombardon, brain hormone, buffer zone, Canal Zone, cannon bone, cherrystone, cinder cone, cobblestone, coffin bone, collarbone, comfort zone, cornerstone, cortisone, crazy bone, crumple zone, curling stone, cuttlebone, demand loan, diaphone, Dictaphone, ecotone, epigone, fracture zone, francophone, frigid zone, frontal bone, funny bone, gramophone, growth hormone, hammerstone, herringbone, hold one's own, holystone, homophone, hydrophone, ice-cream cone, ironstone, kidney stone, knucklebone, leading tone, leave alone, let alone, lithopone, marrowbone, megaphone, mellophone, methadone, microphone, microtone, minestrone, monotone, neutral zone, on one's own, overblown, overgrown, overtone, plant hormone, polyphone, prednisone, provolone, quarter tone, rotenone, rottenstone, sacaton, saxophone, semitone, sex hormone, shacklebone, shatter cone, silicone, sousaphone, speakerphone, stand-alone, stepping-stone, temperate zone, temporal bone, thunderstone, Torreón, torrid zone, traffic cone, twilight zone, undertone, vibraphone, Yellowstone
2telephone
verb
: to speak or try to speak to (someone) using a telephone : to call or phone (someone)
telephonedtelephon·ing
Full Definition of TELEPHONE
transitive verb
1
: to speak to or attempt to reach by telephone
2
: to send by telephone
intransitive verb
: to communicate by telephone
— tele·phon·er noun
See telephone defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of TELEPHONE
1877
TELEPHONE Defined for Kids
1telephone
noun tele·phone \ˈte-lə-ˌfōn\
Definition of TELEPHONE for Kids
: a device for transmitting and receiving sounds over long distances
2telephone
verb
tele·phonedtele·phon·ing
Definition of TELEPHONE for Kids
: to speak to by telephone
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