phone
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the set of numbers used to call a specific person.
n.a sequence of digits assigned to a specific telephone line or user.
Simple“Can I have your phone so I can text you the address?”
In context“He scribbled his phone on a napkin before leaving the café, hoping she would actually use it.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a single sound in a language, like the 'p' sound.
n.a distinct speech sound or gesture, regardless of whether it changes the meaning of a word.
Simple“The linguist recorded every phone the speaker produced during the interview.”
In context“In phonetic analysis, a phone is the physical reality of a sound, whereas a phoneme is its abstract mental representation.”
UsageUsed as a countable noun in phonetics.
Synonymsspeech sound - 03 A1 Beginner
v.to call someone using a telephone.
v.to contact a person or organisation by telephone.
Simple“I will phone you as soon as I get to the hotel.”
In context“The manager phoned the supplier to complain about the late delivery and the damaged packaging.”
UsageCan be used with or without a direct object.
Usage phone theft · phone calls · phone call
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.
From Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ, “sound”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.