english
1
general::
phone
( also telephone formal ):
• My wife was talking to someone on the phone. • What's your home phone number? • The nearest telephone was in the school secretary's office.
mobile phone
British English ( also mobile informal ) a telephone that you can carry with you, that works by using a network of radio stations to pass on signals:
• Even children as young as eight have mobile phones. • She always has her mobile switched off.
cell phone
American English ( also cell informal ) a mobile phone:
• You can reach me on my cell phone.
voice mail
a system that records messages so that you can listen to them on your phone:
• Let me check my voice mail.
text message
( also text , SMS ) a message from someone that you can read on your mobile phone:
• I got a text from Paul.
landline
a telephone that uses wires – used when comparing this with a mobile phone:
• Calls cost 25p from a landline, more from a mobile phone.
receiver
the part of a telephone that you pick up to listen and talk:
• She put down the receiver and started crying., phone
to speak to someone by telephone. Phone is more common in British English than American English:
• I’ll phone you tomorrow.
call
to phone someone. Call is used in both British and American English:
• One of the neighbors called the police. • Call me later.
ring
British English spoken to phone someone. Ring is more informal than phone or call:
• I can ring her at the office tomorrow.
give somebody a call
( also give somebody a ring ) spoken to phone someone:
• If you ever come to Seattle, give me a call. • I’ll give the hospital a ring and see how he is.
telephone
formal to phone someone:
• Angry listeners telephoned the BBC to complain.
Skype
trademark to make a telephone call using special software that allows you to make calls over the Internet:
• I Skyped her last night and we spoke for hours.
Longman-Thesaurus
2
general::
noun
telephone:
She was called to the phone.
verb
call on telephone:
Phone me this evening.
Simple Definitions
3
general::
phone
verbs
use the phone
• Do you mind if I use your phone?
the phone rings
• Around three o'clock, the phone rang.
answer the phone
( also pick up the phone )
• My dad answered the phone.
put the phone down
• I only remembered his name after I had put the phone down.
slam the phone down
(= put it down hard, because you are angry )
• I was so mad I just slammed the phone down.
talk/speak (to somebody) on the phone
• We talk on the phone every day. • We spoke earlier on the phone, if you remember.
come to the phone
• I’m sorry, she can’t come to the phone right now.
be on the phone to somebody
(= be talking to someone on the phone )
• I was on the phone to my mother all morning.
be wanted on the phone
• Larry, tell Rosemary that she’s wanted on the phone.
call somebody on the phone
• I called her on the phone and invited her to Las Vegas.
get on the phone to somebody
(= call them )
• We got on the phone to the hospital straight away.
phone + NOUN
a phone number
• Can I have your phone number?
a phone line
(= a telephone wire or connection )
• Listeners jammed the phone lines, demanding to hear the song.
a phone bill
(= a bill for phone calls )
• Our last phone bill was huge.
a phone company
(= one that provides a telephone service )
• I switched phone companies.
a phone conversation
• Neither man denies the phone conversation took place.
phrases
the phone is busy
( also the phone is engaged British English ) (= the person you are calling is already speaking to someone else )
• I tried you earlier, but your phone was engaged.
the phone goes/is dead
(= the phone line stops working or is not working )
• Before he could reply, the phone suddenly went dead.
the phone is off the hook
(= it cannot be used because it is not connected or is already being used )
• On Friday nights we just take the phone off the hook and relax.
transnet.ir
4
general::
phone in sth
informal often disapproving
If someone phones in a performance, they do it without any effort
• The actor phoned in his performance without a hint of personality., phone in
WORK
1. to telephone the place where you work in order to tell your employer something
• She phoned in sick (= saying that she was ill) this morning., phone in
PROGRAMME
2. to telephone a television or radio programme in order to express your opinion on a matter
• Over three hundred people phoned in to complain.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
5
general::
noun ADJ. cellular, cordless, mobile, portable | car | pay (also payphone), public There's a public payphone in reception. | office, private VERB + PHONE be on She's on the phone at the moment. | use Can I use your phone? | answer, get (informal), lift, pick up If the phone rings, don't answer it. Can you get the phone? | hang up, put down, replace I hung up the phone when he started shouting at me. | slam down She slammed the phone down in a rage. | be wanted on Mum, you're wanted on the phone. | call sb to He was called to the phone just as he was leaving. | connect | disconnect | bug, tap I think our phone is being tapped. | wait by She waits by the phone all day but he doesn't ring. | leave/take off the hook I couldn't get through because you'd left the phone off the hook. PHONE + VERB ring | be engaged His phone is engaged. | be off the hook | go dead The phone suddenly went dead in the middle of our conversation. PHONE + NOUN number | book | bill | call, conversation, message | card (also phonecard) | company, network, service | booth, box | line The modem links the computer to a phone line. PREP. by ~ We keep in contact by phone but we rarely see each other. | on the ~ We spoke on the phone the other day. | over the ~ I haven't seen her but we spoke over the phone.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary