plural phones
1
: a device by which sound (such as speech) is converted into electrical impulses and transmitted (as by wire or radio waves) to one or more specific receivers (see receiver sense d(1)) : telephone
Once it was as simple as this. I sat at my desk. The phone rang. I answered it.—
Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwellreceived a phone call
: such as
a
: a telephone that operates by means of a landline
… the phone is in the front hall; this is an old-fashioned house …—Alice Munro
Alice Munro
b
: cell phone
… Dick got a call on his cell phone. Roxy grabbed the phone and answered.—Mary-Anne Olmsted-Kohls
Mary-Anne Olmsted-Kohls
especially
: smartphone
I have set an alert on my phone to make sure I don't forget a friend's birthday … —Mike Vaccaro
Mike Vaccaro 2
: a device that converts electrical energy into sound waves and is worn over or inserted into the ear : earphone, headphone
The morning the "Smoking Gun" tape was played, tickets were so scarce that one couple from Kansas City, Mo., doubled up on earphones, she listening to the left, he to the right phone.—Louise Sweeney
Louise Sweeney… taking off these RHA headphones and placing the Dr. Dre phones on my head, I realized the more expensive headphones did sound somewhat cleaner …—Charlie White
Charlie White
: a speech sound considered as a physical event without regard to its place in the sound system of a language
plural -phones
1
: sound-transmitting device
microphone
radiophone
2
: musical instrument
xylophone
3
: speech sound
homophone
: symbol representing a speech sound
polyphone
4
: speaker of (a specified language)
Francophone
: of or relating to a population that speaks (a specified language)
Francophone
Synonyms
Examples of phone in a Sentence
Verb
Someone from the newspaper will be phoning with a few questions.
she phoned her friend to invite her over for dinner
Recent Examples on the Web
Austin Mullen, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
My phone pings with an email from our building manager down in the city.
—Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2024
The caller who phoned at 7:03 p.m. March 29 indicated there was suspicious activity on Roberson's accounts, according to legal documents filed by Wagner in the case.
—Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for phone 
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Noun
He is also accused of obtaining a nude photo from her phone in the same stop.
—Austin Mullen, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
My phone pings with an email from our building manager down in the city.
—Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
Grant phoned his wife Clarissa, who soon arrived with their youngest son Callahan, 4.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2024
The caller who phoned at 7:03 p.m. March 29 indicated there was suspicious activity on Roberson's accounts, according to legal documents filed by Wagner in the case.
—Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for phone
Dictionary Entries Near phone
Cite this Entry
“Phone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phone. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
phone
1 of 3 noun-phone
3 of 3 noun combining formˌfōn
: sound
homophone
—often in names of musical instruments and sound-sending devicesradiophone
xylophone
Etymology
Noun combining form
from Greek phōnē "voice, sound"
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