touch-tone
Not rotary dialing
Touch-tone describes telephones that produce distinct tones when buttons are pressed, as opposed to older rotary dial phones.
Each key generates a specific frequency combination recognized by the phone system.
The technology became standard in the late twentieth century: Press 1 to continue, Enter your account number using your touch-tone keypad.
Now often used nostalgically or to distinguish from voice-activated systems.
Handheld communication device
- landlineStationary wired telephone
- handsetHeld telephone component
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
- cordedBound or ribbed
call · AT&T · Bell · telephony · dial · ring · phone jack · caller
Small disc fasteners
- numbersCounting and calculation symbols
- digitsSingle-place numerals
- keysLock-operating instruments
- poundWeight, strike, or kennel
asterisk · star · hash · numeric · grid · layout · zero · one
List of available dishes
- promptIncite to action
- automatedOperating without human control
- IVRAutomated call routing system
- optionsAvailable courses of action
selection · enter · confirm · extension · directory · system · response · interactive
Rate of recurrence
- multifrequencyUsing several wavelengths
- modulationVarying signals to transmit
- audioTransmitted sound content
- transmissionSending of information
Hz · hertz · sine · waveform · decoding · encoding · dialing · pulse
phone
Handheld communication device
- landlineStationary wired telephone
- handsetHeld telephone component
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
corded · call · AT&T · Bell · telephony · dial · ring · phone jack · caller · busy signal
buttons
Small disc fasteners
pound · asterisk · star · hash · numeric · grid · layout · zero · one · two
menu
List of available dishes
options · selection · enter · confirm · extension · directory · system · response · interactive · voicemail
frequency
Rate of recurrence
- multifrequencyUsing several wavelengths
- modulationVarying signals to transmit
- audioTransmitted sound content
transmission · Hz · hertz · sine · waveform · decoding · encoding · dialing · pulse · oscillation
beep
Short electronic tone
bleep · click · audible · feedback · confirmation · electronic · pitch · distinct · sequence · melody
- telephonytelephone, telephone network, call, phone lines, dial
- phone servicesvoicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, call blocking
- telephonestelephone, rotary phone, phone, cordless phone, corded phone
- telephone partshandset, earpiece, dial, mouthpiece, receiver
- phone callsphone number, robocall, cell number, cold call, mobile number
- wired telecomlandline, telephone, telephone line, phone line, phone cord