caller ID

[kaw-ler]

noun

1. a telephone service that allows a subscriber to identify a caller before answering by displaying the caller's telephone number on a small screen.

Word History and Origins

Origin of caller ID¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Customers could not reach him because he had always phoned them with his caller ID hidden.

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Never rely on caller ID alone, the Federal Trade Commission warned.

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Ofcom advises people not to trust the caller ID display on their phone when trying to avoid scams.

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The caller ID was falsified to make it seem as if the calls were coming from the former New Hampshire chairwoman of the Democratic Party.

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Ofcom has warned against relying on caller ID to tell if calls are legitimate.

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