handset

[ noun hand-set; verb adjective hand-set, -set ]

noun

1. Also called French telephone. a telephone having a mouthpiece and earpiece mounted at opposite ends of a handle.

verb (used with object)

, hand·set, hand·set·ting.

1. to set (type) by hand.

adjective

1. (of type) set by hand.
2. (of a publication) printed directly from type set by hand.

handset

/ ˈhændˌsɛt /

noun

1. a telephone mouthpiece and earpiece mounted so that they can be held simultaneously to mouth and ear

Word History and Origins

Origin of handset¹

First recorded in 1915–20; hand + set

Example Sentences

They also attempted to take calls from the audience - but their phone handsets failed, leaving host Jennifer Coffey to relay messages through an earpiece for part of the show.

From BBC

And mobile phone networks in many Western nations, including Ireland, no longer offer Huawei handsets.

From BBC

The tech spec of every new handset camera is usually an improvement on the previous generation.

From BBC

The only evidence of this relationship comes from Williams’s phone as the handset used by Edwards at the time was not found.

From BBC

On Monday, the technology giant revealed its hand - the iPhone 16 which has a camera button on the outside of the handset.

From BBC