Meaning of telephone | Babel Free

Definitions

1. nominative/accusative/genitive plural of Telephon
2. telephone (a telecommunication device used for two-way talking with another person)
3. A telecommunication device (originally mechanical, and now electronic) used for two-way talking with another person (now often shortened to phone).
   countable
4. An instrument for simultaneously transmitting and receiving speech or other sounds over a distance by converting the sounds into signals that are sent to a similar instrument and converting them back into sounds.
5. telephone number (the sequence of digits used to identify a particular destination telephone in a network)
6. The receiver of such a device.
   countable, historical
7. To engage in communication by telephone: She telephoned to invite us to the party.
8. pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
9. The game of Chinese whispers.
   Canada, US, uncountable
10. Invented in 1876, the telephone has become a vital means of communication between people in business and everyday life. It carries sounds in the form of electrical signals along a wire. Mobile telephones are a more recent invention, allowing people to be contacted and to communicate while traveling in a car, train, and even aircraft.
11. heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
12. Chinese whispers; a situation in which an initial message has been distorted and misunderstood by being passed from person to person.
    Canada, US, figuratively, uncountable
13. To communicate with (someone) by telephone:buzz, call, ring.
14. (often abbreviated to phone) (foun) an instrument for speaking to someone from a distance, using either an electric current which passes along a wire or radio waves. He spoke to me by telephone / on the telephone; (also adjective) a telephone number/operator. telefoon تلفون، هاتِف телефон telefone telefon(ický) das Telefon; Telefon... telefon; telefon- τηλέφωνο, τηλεφωνικόςteléfono telefon تلفن puhelin téléphoneטלפון टेलीफोन telefon telefon telepon sími telefono; di telefono, telefonico 電話 전화...
    often abbreviated to
15. a person who operates a telephone switchboard in a telephone exchange. telefonis عامِل التِّلفون телефонист telefonista telefonista, -ka der/die Telefonist(in) omstillingsdame τηλεφωνητής, τηλεφωνήτρια telefonista telefonist تلفن چی puhelunvälittäjä téléphoniste מֵרכַּזָן/מֵרכַּזָנִית टेलीफोन करने वाला telefonist telefonkezelő operator telepon símavörður telefonista 電話交換手 전화 기사(교환원) telefonistas telefonists operator telefon telefonistsentralbordbetjenttelefonistatelefonista telefonist телефон...
16. a small room or compartment containing a telephone for public use. telefoonhokkie حُجْرَة أو كُشْك التِّلفون العُمومي телефонна кабинка cabine telefônica telefonní kabina die Telefonzelle telefonboks τηλεφωνικός θάλαμος cabina de teléfono, cabina telefónica telefonikabiin باجه تلفن puhelinkoppi cabine téléphonique תַּא טֶלֶפוֹן टेलीफोन बूथ telefonska govornica telefonfülke gardu telepon símaklefi cabina telefonica 公衆電話 공중전화 박스 telefono būdelė telefona kabīne pondok telefon telefooncel telefon...
17. a book containing a list of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all the people with telephones in a particular area. Look them up in the telephone directory. telefoongids دَليل التِّلفون телефонен указател lista telefônica telefonní seznam das Telefonbuch telefonbog τηλεφωνικός κατάλογοςguía telefónica telefoniraamat دفترچه راهنمای تلفن puhelinluettelo annuaire du téléphone מַדרִיך טֶלֶפוֹן टेलीफोन पुस्तिका जिसमें फोन नम्बर छपे हो telefonski imenik telefonkönyv petunjuk telepon síma...
18. a central control through which telephone calls are directed. telefoonsentrale مَقْسَم الهاتِف، بَدّالَة التِّلفون телефонен център central telefônica telefonní centrála die Telefonzentrale omstilling τηλεφωνικό κέντροcentral telefónica telefonikeskjaam مخابرات puhelinvaihde central téléphonique מִרכֶּזֶת טֶלֶפוֹנִים दूरभाष संचार केन्द्र telefonska centrala távbeszélő-központ pusat telepon símstöð centralino telefonico 電話交換局 전화교환국 (centrinė) telefono stotis telefona centrāle ibu sawat telefon...
19. To make or try to make a telephone connection with; place a call to: telephoned the police station.

Equivalents

Examples

“And since the spring of 1995, no game of telephone has ended without some Simpsons-loving smart-ass dropping “purple monkey dishwasher” into the chain.”

“In other words, Jones' career and life may have been derailed because a game of telephone went bad.”

CEFR level