burner phone

American  

[bur-ner fohn] / ˈbɜr nər ˌfoʊn /

noun

Informal.

1. a disposable cell phone with prepaid service, often used with the intent to temporarily obscure the true identity or contact information of the user: I always give out the number from my burner phone when I’m going on a blind date.

   Members of the cartel used burner phones to evade federal surveillance.

   I always give out the number from my burner phone when I’m going on a blind date.

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Etymology

Origin of burner phone

2000–05; burn ¹ ( def. ) (perhaps in the slang sense “to disclose the identity of”) + -er ¹ ( def. ) + phone ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

During the most intense front-line battles, the kind that last days, he has left his regular cellphone at the base and instead carried a simple burner phone — with a keypad instead of a touch screen — that he powers on every 12 hours.

From Washington Post

Beard's own phone and the "burner phone" were detected leaving the UK via Gatwick for Spain together using analysis of mobile phone signals, suggesting he was using the phone number which had been given during the passport application.

From BBC

Campus police investigated and learned that the messages had been sent from a “burner” phone that could not be traced, officials said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

With police in various cities now checking people's phones for apps like Telegram, however, and summoning some people for interviews, Yang said she would lie low for now, using a clean "burner" phone to go out with.

From Reuters

It cited specific words like: “jungle justice,” “bank/foreign account,” “food,” “wallet,” “purse,” “burner phone” and “client.”

From Seattle Times