noun / verb
telephone
A device for speaking with someone at a distance, or to call using one.
The telephone on my desk rings while I eat lunch.
Etymology
The components mean distant sound or voice. The device carries speech between people separated by distance, and the noun became a verb for using it.
More examples
- May I use your telephone to call home?
- Please telephone the office before you leave.
- She telephoned her brother to wish him a happy birthday.
Forms
telephone · telephones · telephoned · telephoning