walkie-talkie
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of walkie-talkie
Explanation
A walkie-talkie is a wireless, handheld transceiver that allows two-way communication using radio signals. Walkie-talkies are perfect for communicating in remote places where there's no cellphone signal. With a pair of walkie-talkies, you and a friend can hold a conversation, both sending and receiving signals over a radio channel. The earliest walkie-talkies were used by the military, starting in the 1930s. Designed to be portable and lightweight, the first version was called a "handy-talkie," with the original official walkie-talkie put to wide use by the U.S. during World War II. These simple, quick, two-way communication devices are still popular today on work crews and in wilderness areas far from cell towers. They can also be fun for kids to play with.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rescuers managed to make contact with them and were communicating through a walkie talkie, Kumar said.
From Reuters • Nov. 13, 2023
Kay has been using a walkie talkie and earpiece for the catcher during fall, winter and summer ball.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2023
Samsung has released a new walkie talkie app for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic, which allows watch owners to have push-to-talk conversations with one another using the wearable.
From The Verge • Aug. 31, 2021
Bonilla’s neon-pink tools make her easy to spot - pink scissors, pink keys, pink tape on her walkie talkie and hand sanitizer.
From Washington Times • Apr. 17, 2020
The range radio safety operator came up to the corporal and handed him the walkie talkie.
From Sonny by Raphael, Rick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
