Phone

//foʊ̯n// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A device for transmitting conversations and other sounds in real time across distances, now often a small portable unit also capable of running software etc.

    "Daragh's on the phone at the moment. He'll call you when he's finished."

  2. 2
    A speech segment that possesses distinct physical or perceptual properties, considered as a physical event without regard to its place in the phonology of a language.
  3. 3
    electro-acoustic transducer for converting electric signals into sounds; it is held over or inserted into the ear wordnet
  4. 4
    A person's telephone number (as a means of contact); digits. colloquial

    "It was a clear black night, a clear white moon / Warren G was on the streets tryin' to consume / Some skirts for the eve so I can get some phones / Rollin' in my ride, chillin' all alone"

  5. 5
    electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds wordnet
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  1. 6
    (phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To call (someone) using a telephone. ambitransitive

    "Phone me as soon as you land at the airport."

  2. 2
    get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

From Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ, “sound”).

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