touch-tone

or touch·tone

[ tuhch-tohn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a tone-dialing system or a push-button phone operating on tone dialing.

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a tone-dialing system.
2. a telephone utilizing this system.

touch-tone

adjective

1. of or relating to a telephone dialling system in which each of the buttons pressed generates a tone of a different pitch, which is transmitted to the exchange

Word History and Origins

Origin of touch-tone¹

An Americanism dating back to 1955–60