telephone answering machine

American  

noun

1. answering machine.

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telephone answering machine British  

noun

1. the full name for answering machine

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Etymology

Origin of telephone answering machine

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

“I’m around somewhere, probably just counting my money,” the message on his telephone answering machine said.

From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2022

He retained it even under provocation, when, in 2008, rowdy telephone answering machine messages were left for him by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross during the course of Brand’s BBC2 radio show.

From The Guardian • Dec. 1, 2016

She uses a caption decoder on her television, attends captioned theater performances and asks people to e-mail her messages rather than leave them on her telephone answering machine.

From Time Magazine Archive

The telephone answering machine subverts time: one leaves a surrogate self back in a little box at home, frozen in time, waiting to be roused by a ring: "Hello," one says, disembodied.

From Time Magazine Archive

Lowerison returned from work to find a message on her telephone answering machine.

From Time Magazine Archive