Meaning of "telephone" in the English dictionary

PRONUNCIATION OF TELEPHONE

telephone  [ˈtɛlɪˌfəʊn]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF TELEPHONE

Telephone is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb telephone in English.

WHAT DOES TELEPHONE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Telephone

A telephone, or phone, is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are not in the same vicinity of each other to be heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into electronic signals suitable for transmission via cables or other transmission media over long distances, and replays such signals simultaneously in audible form to its user. The word telephone has been adapted into the vocabulary of many languages. It is derived from the Greek: τῆλε, tēle, "far" and φωνή, phōnē, "voice", together meaning "distant voice". First patented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell and further developed by many others, the telephone was the first device in history that enabled people to talk directly with each other across large distances. Telephones rapidly became indispensable to businesses, government, and households, and are today some of the most widely used small appliances. The essential elements of a telephone are a microphone to speak into and an earphone which reproduces the voice of the distant person.

Definition of telephone in the English dictionary

The first definition of telephone in the dictionary is Also called: telephone set. an electrical device for transmitting speech, consisting of a microphone and receiver mounted on a handset. Other definition of telephone is a worldwide system of communications using telephones. The microphone in one telephone converts sound waves into electrical signals that are transmitted along a telephone wire or by radio to one or more distant sets, the receivers of which reconvert the incoming signal into the original sound. Telephone is also to call or talk to by telephone.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO TELEPHONE

PRESENT

Present

I telephone

you telephone

he/she/it telephones

we telephone

you telephone

they telephone

Present continuous

I am telephoning

you are telephoning

he/she/it is telephoning

we are telephoning

you are telephoning

they are telephoning

Present perfect

I have telephoned

you have telephoned

he/she/it has telephoned

we have telephoned

you have telephoned

they have telephoned

Present perfect continuous

I have been telephoning

you have been telephoning

he/she/it has been telephoning

we have been telephoning

you have been telephoning

they have been telephoning

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I telephoned

you telephoned

he/she/it telephoned

we telephoned

you telephoned

they telephoned

Past continuous

I was telephoning

you were telephoning

he/she/it was telephoning

we were telephoning

you were telephoning

they were telephoning

Past perfect

I had telephoned

you had telephoned

he/she/it had telephoned

we had telephoned

you had telephoned

they had telephoned

Past perfect continuous

I had been telephoning

you had been telephoning

he/she/it had been telephoning

we had been telephoning

you had been telephoning

they had been telephoning

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will telephone

you will telephone

he/she/it will telephone

we will telephone

you will telephone

they will telephone

Future continuous

I will be telephoning

you will be telephoning

he/she/it will be telephoning

we will be telephoning

you will be telephoning

they will be telephoning

Future perfect

I will have telephoned

you will have telephoned

he/she/it will have telephoned

we will have telephoned

you will have telephoned

they will have telephoned

Future perfect continuous

I will have been telephoning

you will have been telephoning

he/she/it will have been telephoning

we will have been telephoning

you will have been telephoning

they will have been telephoning

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would telephone

you would telephone

he/she/it would telephone

we would telephone

you would telephone

they would telephone

Conditional continuous

I would be telephoning

you would be telephoning

he/she/it would be telephoning

we would be telephoning

you would be telephoning

they would be telephoning

Conditional perfect

I would have telephone

you would have telephone

he/she/it would have telephone

we would have telephone

you would have telephone

they would have telephone

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been telephoning

you would have been telephoning

he/she/it would have been telephoning

we would have been telephoning

you would have been telephoning

they would have been telephoning

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you telephone
we let´s telephone
you telephone

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to telephone

Past participle

telephoned

Present Participle

telephoning

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «TELEPHONE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «telephone» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of telephone

blower · buzz · call · call up · camera phone · crackberry · dial · dog and bone · handset · iPhone · mobile · phone · picture phone · ring · smartphone

TRANSLATION OF TELEPHONE

Find out the translation of telephone to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of telephone from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «telephone» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 电话
• Translator English - Spanish: teléfono
• English: telephone
• Translator English - Hindi: टेलीफोन
• Translator English - Arabic: هَاتِف
• Translator English - Russian: телефон
• Translator English - Portuguese: telefone
• Translator English - Bengali: টেলিফোন
• Translator English - French: téléphone
• Translator English - Malay: Telefon
• Translator English - German: Telefon
• Translator English - Japanese: 電話
• Translator English - Korean: 전화
• Translator English - Javanese: Telpon
• Translator English - Vietnamese: điện thoại
• Translator English - Tamil: தொலைபேசி
• Translator English - Marathi: दूरध्वनी
• Translator English - Turkish: telefon
• Translator English - Italian: telefono
• Translator English - Polish: telefon
• Translator English - Ukrainian: телефон
• Translator English - Romanian: telefon
• Translator English - Greek: τηλέφωνο
• Translator English - Afrikaans: telefoon
• Translator English - Swedish: telefon
• Translator English - Norwegian: telefon

10 QUOTES WITH «TELEPHONE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word telephone.

1

Brian Acton

You have a certain identity that you present to the world on Facebook, and you have a certain identity that you present with the telephone, and they are different.

2

Sholom Aleichem

Gossip is nature's telephone.

3

Richard Armour

I've suffered from all of the hang-ups known, and none is as bad as the telephone.

4

Peter Arno

Tell me about yourself - your struggles, your dreams, your telephone number.

5

Paul Auster

It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not.

6

Emily Greene Balch

Technology gives us the facilities that lessen the barriers of time and distance - the telegraph and cable, the telephone, radio, and the rest.

7

Drew Barrymore

I don't even have voice mail or answering machines anymore. I hate the phone, and I don't want to call anybody back. If I go to hell, it will be a small closet with a telephone in it, and I will be doomed and destined for eternity to return phone calls.

8

Jane Birkin

I had a baby at 19 and was a grandmother by 39. Now, my children lend me their children to take them off to Brittany. It's divine. I'm quite exceptionally lucky. I've never had a week without having all three of my daughters on the telephone.

9

Devon Bostick

I guess I figured out my dad was a fight coordinator pretty early, because I always saw him running into walls and stuff and nobody got mad at him, but it took me a lot longer to figure out what Mom did, because it was usually stuff on the telephone.

10

William F. Buckley, Jr.

I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «TELEPHONE»

Discover the use of telephone in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to telephone and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

The Telephone Book: Technology, Schizophrenia, Electric Speech

The Telephone Book, itself organized by a "telephonic logic," fields calls from philosophy, history, literature, and psychoanalysis.

Avital Ronell, 1989

America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940

Deftly written and meticulously researched, "America Calling" adds an important new chapter to the social history of our nation and illuminates a fundamental aspect of cultural modernism that is integral to contemporary life.

Claude S. Fischer, 1992

Understanding Telephone Electronics

This new edition of Stephen Bigelow's well-known, widely used text on telephone electronics offers comprehensive coverage of the latest developments in fiber optic technology, the convergence of telecommunications, cable-TV and Internet ...

Joseph Carr, Steve Winder, Stephen Bigelow, 2001

Telephone Conversation

"... Hopper's aim is to begin to reveal to us the complex world of telephone conversation, and that is what he succeeds marvellously in doing." —Discourse & Society "A guided tour through the interior world of phone interactions, ...

Robert Hopper, 1992

Telephone Triage Protocols for Nurses

This quick-reference manual presents over 200 triage protocols for evaluating patients' symptoms over the telephone.

Julie K. Briggs, 2007

Pediatric Telephone Advice

This handbook presents step-by-step protocols for telephone triage and advice for over 150 pediatric symptoms and chief complaints.

Barton D. Schmitt, 2004

Telephone Survey Methodology

Noted survey experts present recent developments in telephone survey techniques from around the world, describing work in commercial settings, academic research, and governmental statistical agencies.

Robert M. Groves, Paul P. Biemer, Lars E. Lyberg, 2001

The Telephone Patent Conspiracy of 1876: The Elisha ...

This book recounts the little-known story in full, relying on original documents (most never before published) to preserve the flavor of the debate and provide an authentic account.

A. Edward Evenson, 2000

Telephone Installation Handbook

The definitive guide to home and small business installation -- extensions, modems and telephone systems. Steve Roberts provides a practical guide to the installation of telephone wiring in Telephone Installation Handbook.

Stephen Roberts, 2001

Telephone Survey Methods and Practices

This book is written in a user-friendly style for those who desire to conduct valid and reliable telephone surveys.

Joseph J. Leon, Joseph J. Leon, Ph.D., Wayne C. Brown, Ph.D., Libby O. Ruch, Ph.D., with John Itamura, Wayne C. Brown, 2005

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «TELEPHONE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term telephone is used in the context of the following news items.

Arkansas AG announces settlement in telephone scam case

She said the company coerced businesses into paying for services they did not authorize, including listings in telephone directories. A telephone call to ... «KATV, Jul 15»

FCC Expands Potential Liability under the Telephone Consumer …

The FCC's Order reflected the agency's response to 21 petitions seeking guidance regarding or exemptions from various requirements under the Telephone ... «Class Defense Blog, Jul 15»

Telephone scam circulating in Kane County

KANAB — The Kane County Sheriff's Office posted a warning Tuesday regarding a telephone scam circulating in Kanab. The Sheriff's Office and Garkane Power ... «St George News, Jul 15»

Failing To Protect Consumers Under The Telephone Consumer …

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently released a declaratory ruling and order in response to more than 20 petitions under the Telephone ... «Forbes, Jul 15»

What You Need to Know About the FCC's July 10th Declaratory …

An important threshold question that various petitioners had asked the FCC to clarify was what equipment falls within the definition of an “automatic telephone ... «The National Law Review, Jul 15»

Telephone connections in India surpass one billion: TRAI

At the end of May, the total number of telephone connections stood at 1,002.05 million, of which 975.78 million connections were wireless or mobile, data ... «Firstpost, Jul 15»

Post Late Show, David Letterman Is Struggling To Use A Telephone

“As it turns out, after all these years of having someone make my calls for me, I can no longer operate a telephone,” said Letterman. Luckily his two assistants are ... «Vanity Fair, Jun 15»

U.S. lawmakers introduce bill to stop NSA from mass collection of …

The bill is intended to prevent intelligence agencies like the National Security Agency from collecting Americans' telephone records. Specifically, the bill bars ... «FierceWireless, Apr 15»

Telephone & Data Systems, US Cellular Report Losses

U.S. Cellular, which accounts for the bulk of Telephone & Data's revenue, had been steadily losing contract customers amid heavy competition from much larger ... «Wall Street Journal, Feb 15»

AT&T celebrates coast-to-coast call centennial

NEW YORK — One hundred years ago Sunday, Alexander Graham Bell , rising to fame decades earlier as the inventor of the telephone, made a call from New ... «USA TODAY, Jan 15»