telephone
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a piece of equipment used for talking to someone in a different place.
n.a telecommunication device used for two-way voice communication over distances.
Simple“The telephone on the desk rang loudly while I was in the kitchen.”
In context“Before the era of mobile technology, the household telephone was typically tethered to a wall jack in a central room of the house.”
UsageOften shortened to 'phone' in modern everyday English.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a game where a message is whispered from person to person and usually changes by the end.
n.a children's game in which a message is passed through a line of people via whispering, often resulting in humorous distortion.
Simple“The kids played telephone at the party and the final sentence was hilarious.”
In context“The corporate communication breakdown felt like a game of telephone, where the original strategy was completely lost by the time it reached the staff.”
UsageUncountable in this sense.
Synonymschinese whispers - 03 A2 Elementary
v.to call someone using a telephone.
v.to contact or attempt to contact a person via a telecommunications network.
Simple“I will telephone you tomorrow morning to discuss our travel plans.”
In context“The witness immediately telephoned the emergency services after observing the suspicious vehicle departing from the scene.”
UsageCan be used with or without a direct object.
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.