phone

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
  2. noun (phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language
  3. noun electro-acoustic transducer for converting electric signals into sounds; it is held over or inserted into the ear

Etymology

Clipping of telephone; first attested in 1884.

In classic literature

Synonyms

telephone, telephone set

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