dialling tone

British

noun

a continuous sound, either purring or high-pitched, heard over a telephone indicating that a number can be dialled Compare ringing tone engaged tone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Former PC James Asling, who worked for Bedfordshire Police, was caught after a supervisor called him and recognised the international dialling tone.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2024

Would people in the UK need to use an international dialling tone to ring Scotland?

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2013

When you pick up the receiver, instead of a dialling tone, you hear someone reading a short story.

From The Guardian • Aug. 8, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023