dial-telephone
Definition
- Noun:
- A telephone with a rotary dial: "dial-telephone" refers to a type of telephone that uses a rotating dial to select numbers for calling, as opposed to push-button or touch-tone phones.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- My grandmother still uses an old dial-telephone in her living room. (A rotary-dial phone.)
- The museum displayed a vintage dial-telephone from the 1950s. (An antique rotary phone.)
Advanced Usage
"to operate a dial-telephone": to use the rotary mechanism to input a phone number.
- Learning to operate a dial-telephone was tricky for younger generations. (Using the rotating dial to call.)
"dial-telephone era": the period when rotary-dial phones were the standard.
- The dial-telephone era ended with the rise of push-button and mobile phones. (The historical period of rotary phones.)
Variants and Related Words
Dial (n): the rotating part of a telephone used to select numbers.
- The dial on the phone was stiff from age. (The rotary mechanism.)
Telephone (n): a device for transmitting sound over distances.
- The telephone rang loudly. (A communication device.)
Synonyms
Rotary phone: a colloquial term for a dial-telephone.
- He found an old rotary phone in the attic. (A dial-telephone.)
Dial phone: a shortened form of "dial-telephone."
- The dial phone required a finger to turn the dial. (A rotary phone.)
Phrasal Verbs
Dial in: to connect to a system or call by using a dial.
- She had to dial in the number carefully on the dial-telephone. (Input the number using the dial.)
Dial out: to make an outgoing call using a dial.
- He dialed out to his friend from the old dial-telephone. (Made a call.)
Related Idioms
Dial it back: to reduce intensity or effort (derived from turning a dial).
- You need to dial it back; you're too aggressive. (Reduce your intensity.)
Dial up: to increase effort or intensity.
- He dialed up his performance for the final exam. (Increased effort.)