Definition

Noun: A public telephone that operates when coins are inserted as payment.

Usage

This term specifically refers to the physical telephone unit designed for public use that requires coin payment to function. It is a compound noun formed from "pay" and "station."

• The hotel lobby had a pay-station near the entrance.
• Before mobile phones, finding a pay-station was essential for making calls away from home.

Advanced Usage

The term is now largely historical or dated, as coin-operated public telephones have become rare. In contemporary contexts, one might refer to a "public telephone" or "pay phone."

• In the film set in the 1980s, the character used a pay-station to call for help.

Variants and Related Words

• Pay phone (n): The more common modern term for a public telephone that accepts payment via coins or cards.
• Telephone booth (n): A small enclosure containing a public telephone.

Synonyms

Public telephone, pay phone.

Notes

"Pay-station" is a closed compound word. Its meaning is fixed and refers exclusively to the type of telephone described. It is not typically used in idioms or phrasal verbs.

Noun

1. a coin-operated telephone