public phone

Coin-operated caller booth

A public phone is a telephone available for general use, typically coin-operated or card-operated, installed in accessible locations like streets, stations, or building lobbies.

Once ubiquitous, public phones have largely disappeared as mobile phones became universal: I had to find a public phone to call for help.

Also called a pay phone.

Related

quarters · spare change · rotary · handset · cord · operator · collect call · calling card · street corner · city street · dial · ringing · wrong number · change · kiosk · directory · Yellow Pages · busy signal

Opposites
ownership and access

public phonecell phone

Portable wireless communicator

mobile phone · smartphone · portable phone · cellular phone · home phone

Family

public, phone, publics, publicly, publicize, publicized, publicizing, publication, publications

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G