ENGLISH
REFERENCE

phone

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈfoʊn// UK //fˈəʊn// phone General-service Informal

n. a device you use to talk to people who are far away or to use the internet.

n. a telecommunications device used for transmitting and receiving sound or data over long distances. Often used as a shorthand for 'smartphone' or 'mobile phone' in modern contexts.


SIMPLE

I need to charge my phone before we leave.

CONTEXTUAL

She checked her phone for new messages as soon as the plane landed at the airport.

COMPLEX

The rapid evolution of the mobile phone has transformed it from a simple voice-communication tool into a sophisticated handheld computer capable of managing every aspect of a user's digital life.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁-der. Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle)lbor. French télé- Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-der. Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ)der. French -phone French téléphonebor. English telephone English phone Clipping of telephone; first attested in 1884.

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ, “sound”).

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'answer', 'charge', or 'check'.

Idioms4 entries

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