area code

American  

noun

1. a three-digit code that identifies one of the telephone areas into which the U.S. and certain other countries are divided and that precedes the local telephone number when dialing a call between areas.

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area code British  

noun

1. a number prefixed to an individual telephone number: used in making long-distance calls

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Etymology

Origin of area code

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

While the ad for the in-universe furniture store Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire plays, a phone number with a South Bay area code flashes in a supertitle.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026

“Just in case I lose, they gave me the number to call. The area code is Tel Aviv though.”

From Slate • May 19, 2026

I happen to live and work in Melbourne, Fla. Our area code is 321 — like a countdown.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

She launched 818 in 2021, naming it after the area code of her Los Angeles neighborhood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

There was a phone number with a 617 area code.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin