Dictionary

farspeaker en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌfɐːˈspiː.kə/ (Australia)
• fär′spē′kər
• /ˈfaɹˌspi.kəɹ/ (Scotland)
• /ˌfaːˈspiː.kɐ/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈfaːˌspiː.kɐ/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌfɑɹˈspi.kəɹ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈfɑɹˌspi.kəɹ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈfɐːˌspiː.kə/ (Australia)
• (US) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈfaːʳˌspiː.kɜʳ/ (India)
• /ˈfaːˌspiː.kə/ (Australia)
• /ˈfɐːˌspiː.kɐ/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌfɑːˈspiː.kə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌfaːˈspiː.kə/ (Australia)
• /ˌfaːʳˈspiː.kɜʳ/ (India)
• /ˌfɐːˈspiː.kɐ/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈfɑːˌspiː.kə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌfaɹˈspi.kəɹ/ (Scotland)

Etymology

From farspeak + -er (agent noun). Compare German Fernsprecher (“telephone”).

Meanings

1. Telephone.
2. One who farspeaks.
   • "I wish I wasn't so messed up; I wish I was bigger and stronger. Or a Farspeaker like Kyril,” she replied in a very small voice. “You can't help what happened. As for being a Farspeaker, I don't think both of us together could reach someone with the Gift to hear us, and if we could, I don't know that it would do any good," he sighed. 1987, Mercedes Lackey, Arrow's flight:
3. A device or apparatus used to farspeak or communicate over long distances.
   • She held it out toward him. It was the size of a chicken egg, only broken in half. The other half of the crystal—carried by another—would vibrate in tune with its twin, allowing communication, like a walkie-talkie. “A farspeaker! Pindor gasped out. "Why didn't you tell us you had one!" "I did. Back when I first ran into you all," she reminded them. "I had been calling Papa on my farspeaker when I was snatched here." 2011, James Rollins, Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx:
   • "Let's find out whether I do or not," said Yull imperturbably, and activated the farspeaker to maximum volume. At one a voice rang out, impersonal, repetitive: the sound of a recordimal. 1984, John Brunner, The Crucible of Time:
   • Ecgbert picked up the farspeaker eagerly. "Frideswide darling! I have been wating to hear from you all the morning.[…]" 1948, New Statesman: the week-end review:
   • “Sir, we found him in the farspeaker room,” said one of the guards. “He was tampering with the equipment." 2009, Nick Gevers, Jay Lake, Other Earths:

Forms

wikidata: Q11035