telephones
They transmit voices
Telephones are devices for transmitting voice over distance.
The word combines Greek roots meaning "far" and "sound." Originally wired landlines, telephones evolved through cordless models to today's mobile phones, which have largely absorbed the term—though telephone sounds more formal than phone.
To telephone someone is to call them: I'll telephone you tomorrow.
Telephone tag describes missed calls back and forth.
Contact by phone
- dialGraduated circular indicator
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
- handsetHeld telephone component
- ringtonePhone's incoming call sound
voicemail · conversation · contact · landline · cordless · smartphone · texting · messaging
Telephone's Scottish-born creator
- inventionNew device or method
- 1876Late nineteenth century
- rotary dialCircular phone input
- candlestick phoneEarly upright telephone design
switchboard · party line · payphone · long-distance · touch-tone · phone booth · operator · bakelite
Mutual giving and receiving
- PBXPrivate branch exchange
- VoIPCalls over broadband
- switchboardTelephone routing panel
- central officeMain administrative facility
routing · ISDN · PSTN · trunk line · dial tone · switching · fiber optic · copper wire
call
Contact by phone
ringtone · voicemail · conversation · contact · landline · cordless · smartphone · texting · messaging · signal
Alexander Graham Bell
Telephone's Scottish-born creator
- inventionNew device or method
- 1876Late nineteenth century
- rotary dialCircular phone input
candlestick phone · switchboard · party line · payphone · long-distance · touch-tone · phone booth · operator · bakelite · wall-mounted
exchange
Mutual giving and receiving
- PBXPrivate branch exchange
- VoIPCalls over broadband
- switchboardTelephone routing panel
central office · routing · ISDN · PSTN · trunk line · dial tone · switching · fiber optic · copper wire · cell tower
telecom
Remote signal transmission field
Ericsson · Motorola · Huawei · Xiaomi · BlackBerry · handsets · carriers · AT&T · Vodafone · Verizon
- Early 1900sroaring twenties, flapper, jazz, speakeasy, prohibition
- telecom equipmentrouters, servers, modems, switches, antennas
- war roomcommand post, headquarters, operations center, ops center, crisis center
- designdesign principles, functionality, emphasis, unity, graphic design
- modernitymodernity, modernization, internet, electricity, globalization
- surplus auctionsgovernment auctions, surplus auctions, surplus goods, military surplus, army surplus
telephonesletters
Alphabetic characters or mail
written correspondence · mail · handwritten notes · postcards · written word
telephonesdrums
Struck membrane instruments
town criers · couriers · signal fires · smoke signals · messengers
telephonesdirect speech
Exact quoted utterance
physical presence · eye contact · body language · being there
- telephone numberCode to connect calls
- telephone poleTall post carrying wires
- telephone callSpoken exchange via handset
- telephone lineWired voice transmission channel
- telephone boothEnclosed public payphone station
- telephone bookPublished listing of subscribers
telephone, telephoned, telephoning, telephone booth, telephony, telephonic, telephone exchange