speed dial

¹

noun

1. a telephone feature by which telephone numbers can be stored in memory and rapidly dialed by pressing an assigned button.

speed-dial

²

[ speed-dahy-uhl, -dahyl ]

verb (used with object)

, speed-dialed, speed-dial·ing or (especially British) speed-dialled, speed-dial·ling.

1. to dial (a telephone number) using speed dial.

Word History and Origins

Origin of speed dial¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Origin of speed dial²

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

He also has the King of Spain on speed dial.

From BBC

During the years that followed, I met dozens of Americans who had made activism their new hobby: protests every weekend, regular visits to their congressman’s local office, senators on speed dial.

From Slate

The governor was on speed dial.

From Los Angeles Times

His pugnacious character kept him on speed dial among media bookers.

From New York Times

Meanwhile, as WHO member nations gathered to vote in Geneva, formula lobbyists had U.S. officials “on speed dial” and urged them to weaken the WHO resolution, said Jimmy Kolker, who led the negotiations for the U.S. as an assistant secretary in the Health and Human Services Department.

From Salon