telephone

/'telifoun/

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Explanation of the Word "Telephone"

Definition: A telephone is a device that allows you to talk to someone who is far away. It works by changing your voice into electrical signals, sending those signals through wires or the air, and then changing them back into sound for the other person to hear.

Usage Instructions:

• As a noun: You can use "telephone" when you are talking about the device itself.

  • Example: "I need to buy a new telephone because mine is broken."

• As a verb: You can use "telephone" when you mean to call someone.

  • Example: "I will telephone you later to discuss the project."

Example Sentences:

1. Noun: "She answered the telephone when it rang."
2. Verb: "I will telephone my friend to invite her to the party."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced contexts, "telephone" can refer to various forms of communication, including mobile phones and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services.

Word Variants:

• Telephone (noun): The physical device.
• Telephoned (verb): The past tense of telephone.
• Telephoning (verb): The present participle of telephone.
• Telephonic (adjective): Relating to or operated by telephone.

Different Meanings:

In some contexts, "telephone" can also refer to the act of making a call, not just the device. For example, "He is on the telephone" can mean he is currently talking on the phone.

Synonyms:

• Phone: A more casual term for a telephone.
• Cell phone: A mobile version of a telephone.
• Mobile phone: Another term for a cell phone, especially used outside the U.S.

Idioms:

• "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning": This phrase means to rest and see how you feel later, often used humorously in a medical context.

Phrasal Verbs:

• "Call up": To make a phone call to someone.

  • Example: "I will call up my grandmother this weekend."

• "Get through": To successfully reach someone by telephone.

Academic

Noun

1. transmitting speech at a distance
2. electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
   • I talked to him on the telephone

Verb

1. get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone
   • I tried to call you all night
   • Take two aspirin and call me in the morning

Synonyms

• telephony
• phone
• telephone set
• call
• call up
• ring