direct-dial

or di·rect di·al

[ dih-rekt-dahy-uhl, -dahyl, dahy-rekt- ]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make a telephone call outside the local area without the assistance of an operator.

adjective

1. being a telephone or telephone system enabling long-distance calls to be direct-dialed.
2. of or relating to direct dialing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of direct-dial¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

The Queen sent her first email at an RAF base in 1976 and she made the first direct-dial trunk call from the UK in 1958.

From The Daily Beast

Malone, realizing that with direct-dial phones Boyd had no idea where he was actually calling from, kept wisely quiet.

From Project Gutenberg