dial telephone
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A telephone with a dial for registering the number to be called: A type of telephone set equipped with a rotary dial, a circular device with numbered holes, which the user rotates to input a telephone number. This mechanism generates electrical pulses that signal the desired number to the telephone exchange.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- My grandmother still prefers her old dial telephone to a modern smartphone.
- In the museum, you can see an exhibit featuring a classic black dial telephone from the 1950s.
Advanced Usage
- The term "dial telephone" is often used in historical or descriptive contexts to distinguish older rotary-dial technology from later touch-tone (DTMF) and digital telephones.
- It can be used attributively (like an adjective) to describe related concepts.
- The dial telephone era lasted for much of the 20th century.
Variants and Related Words
- Dial phone (n): A common shortened form of "dial telephone."
- Rotary phone (n): A synonym emphasizing the rotating dial mechanism.
- Telephone dial (n): Refers specifically to the rotating input device on such a telephone.
Synonyms
- Rotary telephone
- Rotary-dial telephone
Notes on Meaning
- The core meaning specifies the input method (a rotary dial) rather than other telephone features. It is a subset of the broader category "telephone."
- As a compound noun, its meaning is fixed and refers to the complete device, not just the action of dialing.
Noun
- a telephone with a dial for registering the number to be called