telephone

/ˈtelɪfəʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtelɪfəʊn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈte-lə-ˌfōn/ (ame, mw) · /ˈtel.ɪ.fəʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtel.ə.foʊn/ (ame, ipa)

telephone — noun

  • telephonesingular
  • telephonesplural

1. a device that lets people in different places hear each other's voices by changi

1.名詞A2
釋義

a device that lets people in different places hear each other's voices by changing sound into electronic signals and sending those signals through wires or through the air.

例句

Baraka picked up the hall telephone and dialled his mother to wish her happy birthday.

pick up the telephone / dial a number

Guests can use the telephone in the room to call the front desk.

同義詞
  • phone

    shorter, more common in everyday speech

  • landline

    specifically a telephone connected by wires, not wireless

文法句型

the telephone

by telephone

on the telephone

用法筆記

In everyday conversation, most speakers say 'phone' instead of 'telephone'. The full word 'telephone' is more frequent in formal writing and official documents.

常見錯誤

❌I talked on telephone.
✅I talked on the telephone.
💡You usually need the article 'the' when talking about using the device as a system.

2. the part of a telephone that you hold up to your ear to listen and speak into, s

2.名詞B1
釋義

the part of a telephone that you hold up to your ear to listen and speak into, separate from the main body of the device.

例句

Mateo lifted the telephone from its cradle and held it to his ear.

lift the telephone from its cradle / hold to ear

Lotte held the telephone between her ear and shoulder while writing down the doctor's instructions.

同義詞
  • handset

    modern term for the part you hold

  • receiver

    focuses on the part that receives sound

文法句型

the telephone

pick up the telephone

用法筆記

This sense refers only to the hand-held part, not the whole telephone. In modern English, 'handset' or 'receiver' is often used instead.

telephone — verb