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.

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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

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

The Soviets claim that their modern direct-dial equipment has been transferred only temporarily from international service, where telephone usage is relatively light, to the domestic network.

From Time Magazine Archive

Because of increasing hordes of summer tourists and hard-to-replace parts, Santa Catalina will join the computer age this week when its switchboard is replaced by a direct-dial system.

From Time Magazine Archive

His friend sent him a list of AT&T calling card numbers and a toll-free direct-dial number which connected Australians with American operators.

From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette