phone

¹ American  

[fohn] / foʊn /

noun

1. telephone.

2. a portable electronic telephone device, as a cell phone, mobile phone, or smartphone.

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verb (used with object)

phoned, phoning

1. to speak to or summon (a person) by telephone.

2. to send (a message) by telephone.

verb (used without object)

phoned, phoning

1. to send a message by telephone.

phone ² American  

[fohn] / foʊn /

noun

Phonetics.

1. a speech sound.

   There are three phonetically different “t” phones in an utterance of “titillate,” and two in an utterance of “tattletale.”

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-phone ³ American  

1. a combining form meaning “speech sound” (homophone ), “an instrument of sound transmission or reproduction” (telephone ), “a musical instrument” (saxophone; xylophone ).

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-phone ¹ British  

combining form

1. (forming nouns) indicating voice, sound, or a device giving off sound

   microphone

   telephone

2. (forming nouns and adjectives) (a person) speaking a particular language

   Francophone

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phone ² British  

/ fəʊn /

noun

1. short for telephone

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phone ³ British  

/ fəʊn /

noun

1. phonetics a single uncomplicated speech sound

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Other Word Forms

• -phonic combining form
• phonal adjective

Etymology

Origin of phone¹

First recorded in 1880–85; by shortening

Origin of phone²

First recorded in 1865–70, phone is from the Greek word phōnḗ voice

Origin of -phone³

phone ²

Example Sentences

Her phone was “ringing off the hook,” she said, with people who were calling about rattlesnake sightings all over the state.

From Los Angeles Times

"When I've had my braids when I was younger, people would come up to me all the time and ask and I'd be writing the phone numbers down."

From BBC

Do you have internet access - or just a basic mobile phone?

From BBC

The arrest report said that Woods was “sweating profusely” and that Woods said he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station at the time of the crash.

From The Wall Street Journal

“March has been obviously pretty nasty” for stocks, said Scott Wren, a senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, in a phone interview.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• call up
• contact
• dial