touch-tone phone
Keypad telephone device
A touch-tone phone uses buttons that produce distinct tones when pressed, rather than a rotary dial.
Each button generates a specific frequency pair that the telephone system recognizes.
Touch-tone became standard in the late twentieth century and enabled automated phone menus: Press 1 for billing, press 2 for technical support.
The technology is now so universal that "touch-tone" sounds dated—it's just how phones work.
- dialGraduated circular indicator
- keypadButton array for input
- push buttonDepressible control element
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
- rotaryInvolving circular motion
landline · buttons · pound sign · ringing · busy signal · call waiting · cord · off the hook · handset · beep · area code · operator · hang up · call · answering machine · pulse · numbers · cradle
- midcentury technologytransistor radio, color TV, tape recorder, record player, hi-fi
- telephonespayphone, handset, landline, receiver, dial
- Bell Labstransistor, Unix, C language, information theory, cellular network
touch-tone phonerotary phone
Circular-dial telephone
dial phone · smartphone · cell phone · mobile phone · candlestick phone
touch, tone, phone, touches, touched, touching, touchy, touchable, untouchable