phone1
[fohn]
- telephone(def 1).
- a portable electronic telephone device, as a cell phone, mobile phone, or smartphone.
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- to speak to or summon (a person) by telephone.
- to send (a message) by telephone.
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- to send a message by telephone.
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Origin of phone1
First recorded in 1880–85; by shortening
phone2
[fohn]
- a speech sound: There are three phonetically different “t” phones in an utterance of “titillate,” and two in an utterance of “tattletale.”
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Origin of phone2
First recorded in 1865–70, phone is from the Greek word phōnḗ voice
-phone
- a combining form meaning “speech sound” (homophone), “an instrument of sound transmission or reproduction” (telephone), “a musical instrument” (saxophone; xylophone).
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Origin of -phone
see origin at phone2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for phone
Contemporary Examples
“We talked about the science the whole time the other day,” Krauss told The Daily Beast in a phone interview.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen HawkingM.L. Nestel
January 8, 2015
Now it can't open on my phone due to what appears to be software incompatibility.
Eventually Morrow was released with no money, vehicle, or phone.
My wife was talking to her on the phone, and I just kinda found the courage to ask her.
The phone is apparently the one he took from his girlfriend after shooting her outside Baltimore and heading for New York.
Historical Examples
You have seen the Greek word "phone," which means the voice, before.
Ancient ManHendrik Willem van Loon
His reason for wanting to see me, he said, he'd rather not give me over the 'phone.
The HarborErnest Poole
He rose to leave, but paused while Colonel Boynton answered the phone.
He was working with trembling fingers at the phone where Sykes had pointed.
This number the spectator dialed on the phone Mr. Grace carried.
phone1
- short for telephone
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phone2
- phonetics a single uncomplicated speech sound
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Word Origin
C19: from Greek phōnē sound, voice
-phone
- (forming nouns) indicating voice, sound, or a device giving off soundmicrophone; telephone
- (forming nouns and adjectives) (a person) speaking a particular languageFrancophone
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Word Origin
from Greek phōnē voice, sound
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
Word Origin and History for phone
n.1
1884, shortening of telephone (n.). Phone book first recorded 1925; phone booth 1927; phone bill 1901.
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v.
1884, from phone (n.). Related: Phoned; phoning.
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n.2
"elementary sound of a spoken language," 1866, from Greek phone (see fame (n.)).
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-phone
word-forming element meaning "voice, sound," also "speaker of," from Greek phone "voice, sound," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, say, tell" (cf. Latin for, fari "to speak," fama "talk, report;" see fame (n.)).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper