- the part of a phone that you hold close to your mouth and ear
- to pick up/lift/put down/replace the receiver
Collocations PhonesPhonesMaking and receiving phone callscompare handset- the phone/telephone rings
- answer/pick up/hang up the phone/telephone
- lift/pick up/hold/replace the receiver
- dial a (phone/extension/wrong) number/an area code
- call somebody/talk (to somebody)/speak (to somebody) on the phone/telephone; from home/work/the office
- make/get/receive a phone call
- take the phone off the hook (= remove the receiver so that the phone does not ring)
- the line is (British English) engaged/ (especially North American English) busy
- the phones have been (North American English) ringing off the hook (= ringing frequently)
- put somebody through/get through to the person you want to speak to
- put somebody on hold (= so that they must wait for the person they want to speak to)
- call from/use a landline
- be/talk on a (both British English) mobile phone/mobile/(especially North American English) cell phone/(informal, especially North American English) cell
- use/answer/call (somebody on)/get a message on your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
- switch/turn on/off your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
- charge/recharge your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
- a mobile/cell phone is on/is off/rings/goes off
- (British English) top up your mobile/cell (phone)
- send/receive a text (message)/an SMS (message)/a fax
- insert/remove/change a SIM card
Extra ExamplesTopics Phones, email and the internetb2- ‘It's your mother on the phone again!’, said John with his hand over the receiver.
- She covered the receiver and mouthed, ‘It's him.’
- He slammed the receiver down and burst into tears.
- She picked up the receiver and put it to her ear.
- He took a deep breath and lifted the receiver off its hook.
- The receiver was dangling from the payphone.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- phone
- telephone
- lift
- pick up
- grab
- …
- dangle
- over the receiver
- hold the receiver to your ear
- put the receiver to your ear
- a piece of radio or television equipment that changes broadcast signals into sound or pictures
- a satellite/GPS receiver
- To change channel, select the desired number on the receiver unit.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- hand-held
- portable
- GPS
- …
- module
- unit
- antenna
- …
- (British English also official receiver)(law) a person who is chosen by a court to be in charge of a company that is bankrupt
- They had to lay off 200 staff and call in the receivers.
- The company has been put in the hands of the receiver.
- A receiver was appointed by the court to handle the company’s affairs.
- The company remained in the hands of the receiver.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- official
- court-appointed
- administrative
- …
- appoint
- appoint somebody (as)
- call in
- …
- in the hands of the receiver
- a person who receives something
- Molly's more of a giver than a receiver.
- a person who buys or accepts stolen goods, knowing that they have been stolen
- (in American football ) a player who plays in a position in which the ball can be caught when it is being passed forward see also wide receiverTopics Sports: ball and racket sportsc2
Check pronunciation:
receiver