landline

American  

[land-lahyn] / ˈlændˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a circuit of wire or cable connecting two ground locations.

2. a telecommunications line, service, or connection that uses wire running over land or underground to connect to a network.

   telegraph and telephone landlines.

3. Also called landline telephone.  Also called landline phone.  a telephone that is connected by wire to a network.

4. Citizens Band Radio Slang. a telephone.

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Etymology

Origin of landline

First recorded in 1860–65; land + line ¹

Example Sentences

When the teens are desperate for a landline.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Many with ties to Iran are still receiving landline phone calls from inside -- "quite surprising" given the internet blackout, said Mahsa Alimardani of global rights organisation Witness.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

In her personal life, she’s vigilant about avoiding online data tracking and maintains a landline in her Bay Area home to avoid giving out her cell phone number.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

The work became especially difficult at the height of the protests on 8 January, when Iran's government cut off internet, mobile phone and landline access for nearly three weeks.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

The woman at the counter offers her landline.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel