noun / verb

phone

A telephone, or to communicate by telephone.

My phone rings just as I leave the house.

Etymology

Phone shortens telephone. The longer name combines distance and sound, describing communication with someone far away.

More examples

  • Please answer the phone before it stops ringing.
  • She phones her parents every Sunday.
  • I phoned the office to confirm my appointment.

Forms

phone · phones · phoned · phoning

Similar words

telephone
Means the same device or action but sounds more formal.
call
Can replace the verb but does not name the device.