direct-dial

American  

[dih-rekt-dahy-uhl, -dahyl, dahy-rekt-] / dɪˈrɛktˈdaɪ əl, -ˈdaɪl, daɪˈrɛkt- /

Or direct dial

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make a telephone call outside the local area without the assistance of an operator.

---

adjective

1. being a telephone or telephone system enabling long-distance calls to be direct-dialed.

2. of or relating to direct dialing.

Etymology

Origin of direct-dial

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

direct-dial

In 1983, the last full-fledged hand-cranked telephone system in the United States went out of service as 440 telephone customers in Bryant Pond, Maine, were switched over to direct-dial service.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 11, 2020

She laughs: "Because you're the one who has the direct-dial phone to the White House."

From BusinessWeek ● May 27, 2010

Meanwhile, SBS's satellite, SBS-3, will be targeted toward the U.S. market, offering long-distance direct-dial service to consumers at rates lower than AT&T's.

From Time Magazine Archive

While direct-dial calls in the affected regions were handled smoothly by automatic switching equipment, customers encountered delays in getting directory assistance, repair service and phone installation.

From Time Magazine Archive

Everything a customer might say to it is done by punching the direct-dial tone buttons on your subset.

From The Hacker Crackdown, law and disorder on the electronic frontier by Bruce Sterling