Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁-der.
Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle)lbor.
French télé-
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-der.
Proto-Hellenic *pʰōnā́
Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ)der.
French -phone
French téléphonebor.
English telephoneclip.
English phone
Clipping of telephone; first attested in 1884.
Meanings
A device for transmitting conversations and other sounds in real time across distances, now often a small portable unit also capable of running software etc.
My phone ran out of battery.
There's an old-fashioned phone in the doctor's waiting room - it doesn't work anymore, of course.
Daragh's on the phone at the moment. He'll call you when he's finished.
(colloquial) A person's telephone number (as a means of contact); digits.
It was a clear black night, a clear white moon / Warren G was on the streets tryin' to consume / Some skirts for the eve so I can get some phones / Rollin' in my ride, chillin' all alone 1994, Warren G feat. Nate Dogg Regulate (song)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁-der.
Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle)lbor.
French télé-
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-der.
Proto-Hellenic *pʰōnā́
Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ)der.
French -phone
French téléphonebor.
English telephoneclip.
English phone
Clipping of telephone; first attested in 1884.
Meanings
(ambitransitive) To call (someone) using a telephone.
Her father told her to phone him to pick her up in case it started raining heavily.
"You bloody fools!" shrieked Nickle, stung by a sudden dreadful inspiration, "we've let him phone. He has got through!" 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
It wasn’t like he was dying to get it off his chest. I think he only phoned because he knew how excited I’d be to hear about it. 2010, Tyler Keevil, chapter 32, in Fireball, Cardigan, Ceredigion: Parthian, →ISBN, page 148:
Phone me as soon as you land at the airport.
[…] “You’d better get here within half an hour, or I’m phoning the police.” 2026 July 25, Nicholas Muhoro, “The Last Call of Jo-Anne Pedersen, the Girl Who Vanished From a Payphone”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 26 Jul 2026:
(qualifier:reporting verb) To say via telephone.
Well, the first I knew, Mr. Cooney phoned he had a buyer for my farm, and wanted to know if he could come down. 1905, Patrick Woodard, quotee, “Woodard vs. Cooney”, in The South Western Reporter, volume 85:
After I wrote the 23ⁿᵈ bout midnite Charles phoned he got my note + could I come over then? 1973 November 23, Lou Sullivan, Diary:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
phones
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
phoned
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
phoned
Tense=Past
lexicographic
'phone
alternative, dated
lexicographic
phoning
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
Deriveds
phone ahead (Terms derived from phone (etymology 1—verb)) · phone home (Terms derived from phone (etymology 1—verb)) · unphoned (Terms derived from phone (etymology 1—verb)) · phone up (Terms derived from phone (etymology 1—verb)) · phone in (Terms derived from phone (etymology 1—verb))
aii ܡܲܚܒܸܪ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · tr aramak (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fa تلفن کردن (to call (someone) on the telephone) · be тэлефанава́ць (to call (someone) on the telephone) · lt skambinti (to call (someone) on the telephone) · el παίρνω τηλέφωνο (to call (someone) on the telephone) · et helistama (to call (someone) on the telephone) · is hringja (to call (someone) on the telephone) · da ringe (to call (someone) on the telephone) · az zəng vurmaq (to call (someone) on the telephone) · es timbrar (to call (someone) on the telephone) · es telefonear (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ca trucar (to call (someone) on the telephone) · lg essimu (to call (someone) on the telephone) · eu telefonoz deitu (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ja 電話する (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sk volať (to call (someone) on the telephone) · pt chamar (to call (someone) on the telephone) · bg оба́ждам се (to call (someone) on the telephone) · pt ligar para (to call (someone) on the telephone) · tl tumawag (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sl telefonirati (to call (someone) on the telephone) · bg телефони́рам (to call (someone) on the telephone) · lb telefonéieren (to call (someone) on the telephone) · cs volat (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sk zavolať (to call (someone) on the telephone) · th โทรศัพท์ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · nl opbellen (to call (someone) on the telephone) · el παίρνω (to call (someone) on the telephone) · io telefonar (to call (someone) on the telephone) · km ទូរសព្ទ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sa दूरवाणी (to call (someone) on the telephone) · vi gọi điện thoại (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ru позвони́ть (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ur ملانا (to call (someone) on the telephone) · uk подзвони́ти (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sv ringa (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fa تیلفون کردن (to call (someone) on the telephone) · pl zadzwonić (to call (someone) on the telephone) · de anrufen (to call (someone) on the telephone) · mk телефони́ра (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fr phoner (to call (someone) on the telephone) · my ဖုန်းဆက် (to call (someone) on the telephone) · vi điện thoại (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sq telefonoj (to call (someone) on the telephone) · be звані́ць (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sh telefonírati (to call (someone) on the telephone) · es llamar por teléfono (to call (someone) on the telephone) · be пазвані́ць (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fr appeler (to call (someone) on the telephone) · hu telefonál (to call (someone) on the telephone) · yi טעלעפֿאָנירן (to call (someone) on the telephone) · bn ফোন করা (to call (someone) on the telephone) · mk заѕвони (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sa दूरवाणीं करोति (to call (someone) on the telephone) · vi gọi điện (to call (someone) on the telephone) · uk зателефонува́ти (to call (someone) on the telephone) · he צילצל \ צִלְצֵל (to call (someone) on the telephone) · uz qoʻngʻiroq qilmoq (to call (someone) on the telephone) · lb uruffen (to call (someone) on the telephone) · az zəng etmək (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ru телефони́ровать (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ko 전화를 걸다 (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sk telefonovať (to call (someone) on the telephone) · tr telefon etmek (to call (someone) on the telephone) · lv zvanīt (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ur فون کرنا (to call (someone) on the telephone) · mk ѕвони (to call (someone) on the telephone) · el καλώ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fa زنگ زدن (to call (someone) on the telephone) · cs zatelefonovat (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fa تلفن زدن (to call (someone) on the telephone) · pl telefonować (to call (someone) on the telephone) · be патэлефанава́ць (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sk zatelefonovať (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ru звони́ть (to call (someone) on the telephone) · tg телефон кардан (to call (someone) on the telephone) · th โทร (to call (someone) on the telephone) · pl dzwonić (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ja 電話をかける (to call (someone) on the telephone) · hi फ़ोन करना (to call (someone) on the telephone) · pl zatelefonować (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ca telefonar (to call (someone) on the telephone) · cmn 打電話 /打电话 (to call (someone) on the telephone) · aii ܚܘܼܛܵܡܲܠܸܠ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · tl tumelepono (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fo ringja (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ch dengua' (to call (someone) on the telephone) · hy զանգել (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fr téléphoner (to call (someone) on the telephone) · eu telefonatu (to call (someone) on the telephone) · it telefonare (to call (someone) on the telephone) · de telefonieren (to call (someone) on the telephone) · tl tawagan (to call (someone) on the telephone) · af telefoneer (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sd ڏُور وائڻُ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sv telefonera (to call (someone) on the telephone) · eo telefoni (to call (someone) on the telephone) · cs zavolat (to call (someone) on the telephone) · el τηλεφωνώ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · lv piezvanīt (to call (someone) on the telephone) · sh телефони́рати (to call (someone) on the telephone) · tr telefonlamak (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ko 전화하다 (to call (someone) on the telephone) · vi kêu điện thoại (to call (someone) on the telephone) · bo ཁ་དཔར་གཏོང་བ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ia telephonar (to call (someone) on the telephone) · vi điện (to call (someone) on the telephone) · uk телефонува́ти (to call (someone) on the telephone) · lv telefonēt (to call (someone) on the telephone) · gd fòn (to call (someone) on the telephone) · cy ffonio (to call (someone) on the telephone) · lo ໂທລະສັບ (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ta ஃபோன் பண்ணு (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fa دورواژیدن (to call (someone) on the telephone) · nl telefoneren (to call (someone) on the telephone) · id telepon (to call (someone) on the telephone) · uk дзвони́ти (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fa تیلفون زدن (to call (someone) on the telephone) · cs telefonovat (to call (someone) on the telephone) · uz telefon qilmoq (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fa زنگ زدن (to call (someone) on the telephone) · bg оба́дя се (to call (someone) on the telephone) · pt telefonar para (to call (someone) on the telephone) · fi soittaa (puhelimella) (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ro a telefona (to call (someone) on the telephone) · ar تَلْفَنَ (to call (someone) on the telephone)
A speech segment that possesses distinct physical or perceptual properties, considered as a physical event without regard to its place in the phonology of a language.