dial-up

[dahy-uhl-uhp, dahyl-]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dial-up¹

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

Example Sentences

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.

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

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Launched more than 30 years ago, AOL dial-up was known for its chirpy whirring start-up sound, but it has long since been replaced by faster alternatives.

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AOL is shutting down the dial-up service that introduced homes across the US to the internet.

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Fewer than 300,000 people in the US reported having only a dial-up internet connection, compared with more than 300 million with broadband service, according to 2023 government estimates.

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