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Definition of phone noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

      

    phone

     noun
    noun
    NAmE//foʊn//
     
     
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  1. 1[uncountable, countable] a system for talking to someone else over long distances using wires or radio; a machine used for this; a telephone I have to make a phone call. The phone rang and Pat answered it. They like to do business by phone/over the phone. His phone must be switched off. I don't have my phone with me. a phone bill see car phone, cell phone, pay phone, telephone
  2. 2[countable] the part of a phone that you hold in your hand and speak into; a telephone to pick up the phone He left the phone off the hook as he didn't want to be disturbed. see telephone
  3. 3-phone (in nouns) an instrument that uses or makes sound dictaphone xylophone
  4. 4-phone (in adjectives and nouns) speaking a particular language; a person who does this anglophone francophone
  5. 5(phonetics) a sound made in speech, especially when not considered as part of the sound system of a particular language compare phoneme
    6. Topic CollocationsPhonesmaking and receiving phone calls
    • the phone/telephone rings
    • answer/pick up/hang up the phone/telephone
    • lift/pick up/hold/replace the receiver
    • dial a phone number/an extension number/a 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 busy
    • the phones have been 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
    cell phones
    • be/talk on a cell phone/ (informal) cell
    • use/answer/call (somebody on)/get a message on your cell phone/cell
    • switch/turn on/off your cell phone/cell
    • charge/recharge your cell phone/cell
    • a cell phone is on/is off/rings/goes off/is on vibrate/is on silent/is in silent mode
    • send/receive a text (message)/a picture message
    • insert/remove/change a SIM card
    Idioms
    be on the phone
     
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    to be using the telephone He's been on the phone with Kate for more than an hour.
See phone in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: phone

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