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

But in Florence, he joked that Gallrein's phone number "has a Tel Aviv area code".

From BBC • May 18, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Tuesday is now known as 502Tuesday, after the local area code.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

She resurfaced under a new number, a 646 area code, New York City, and a very different-looking person in the profile picture.

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2025

The entire state of Idaho had one area code; the Chicago metro area alone had three.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz