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dial-up

American  
[dahy-uhl-uhp, dahyl-] / ˈdaɪ əlˌʌp, ˈdaɪl- /

adjective

Computers.
  1. relating to or denoting a type of computer data transmission encoded in audio format and transmitted through a telephone call to an internet service provider.

    A dial-up connection to the internet is too slow to play most online video games.


Etymology

Origin of dial-up

First recorded in 1960–65; adjective use of verb phrase dial up

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The company stopped its dial-up internet service last month.

From The Wall Street Journal

From what I saw, I’m convinced agentic and AI browsers are the future, but the current iteration feels a bit like when I first tried America Online to use the internet over dial-up modems.

From Barron's

The rolling green grassy hills and blue sky of our Windows XP background greeted me, and I’d feel feverish waiting as the AOL dial-up internet made its torturously slow connection.

From Slate

The firm's dial-up offering connects to the internet via a phone line and currently only exists in the US and Canada.

From BBC

Launched more than 30 years ago, AOL dial-up was known for its chirpy whirring start-up sound, but it has long since been replaced by faster alternatives.

From BBC