| 释义 |
telephone
tel·e·phone T0090000 (tĕl′ə-fōn′)n. An instrument for simultaneously transmitting and receiving speech or other sounds over a distance by converting the sounds into signals that are sent to a similar instrument and converting them back into sounds.v. tel·e·phoned, tel·e·phon·ing, tel·e·phones v.tr.1. a. To make or try to make a telephone connection with; place a call to: telephoned the police station.b. To dial (a telephone number).2. To transmit (a message, for example) by telephone: I telephoned that I was sick and could not come to work.v.intr. To engage in communication by telephone: She telephoned to invite us to the party.
tel′e·phon′er n.telephone (ˈtɛlɪˌfəʊn) n1. (Telecommunications) a. Also called: telephone set an electrical device for transmitting speech, consisting of a microphone and receiver mounted on a handsetb. (as modifier): a telephone receiver. 2. (Telecommunications) a. a worldwide system of communications using telephones. The microphone in one telephone converts sound waves into electrical signals that are transmitted along a telephone wire or by radio to one or more distant sets, the receivers of which reconvert the incoming signal into the original soundb. (as modifier): a telephone exchange; a telephone call. 3. (Telecommunications) See telephone boxvb4. (Telecommunications) to call or talk to (a person) by telephone5. (Telecommunications) to transmit (a recorded message, radio or television programme, or other information) by telephone, using special transmitting and receiving equipment Often shortened to: phone ˈteleˌphoner n telephonic adj ˌteleˈphonically advtel•e•phone (ˈtɛl əˌfoʊn)
n., v. -phoned, -phon•ing. n. 1. Also called phone. an apparatus, system, or process for transmission of sound or speech to a distant point, esp. by an electric device. v.t. 2. to speak to (a person) by telephone; phone. 3. to send (a message) by telephone; phone. v.i. 4. to send a message or speak by telephone; phone. [1825–35] tel′e•phon`er, n. telephone
Past participle: telephoned
Gerund: telephoning
| Imperative |
|---|
| telephone | | telephone |
| Present |
|---|
| I telephone | | you telephone | | he/she/it telephones | | we telephone | | you telephone | | they telephone |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I telephoned | | you telephoned | | he/she/it telephoned | | we telephoned | | you telephoned | | they telephoned |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am telephoning | | you are telephoning | | he/she/it is telephoning | | we are telephoning | | you are telephoning | | they are telephoning |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have telephoned | | you have telephoned | | he/she/it has telephoned | | we have telephoned | | you have telephoned | | they have telephoned |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was telephoning | | you were telephoning | | he/she/it was telephoning | | we were telephoning | | you were telephoning | | they were telephoning |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had telephoned | | you had telephoned | | he/she/it had telephoned | | we had telephoned | | you had telephoned | | they had telephoned |
| Future |
|---|
| I will telephone | | you will telephone | | he/she/it will telephone | | we will telephone | | you will telephone | | they will telephone |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have telephoned | | you will have telephoned | | he/she/it will have telephoned | | we will have telephoned | | you will have telephoned | | they will have telephoned |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be telephoning | | you will be telephoning | | he/she/it will be telephoning | | we will be telephoning | | you will be telephoning | | they will be telephoning |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been telephoning | | you have been telephoning | | he/she/it has been telephoning | | we have been telephoning | | you have been telephoning | | they have been telephoning |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been telephoning | | you will have been telephoning | | he/she/it will have been telephoning | | we will have been telephoning | | you will have been telephoning | | they will have been telephoning |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been telephoning | | you had been telephoning | | he/she/it had been telephoning | | we had been telephoning | | you had been telephoning | | they had been telephoning |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would telephone | | you would telephone | | he/she/it would telephone | | we would telephone | | you would telephone | | they would telephone |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have telephoned | | you would have telephoned | | he/she/it would have telephoned | | we would have telephoned | | you would have telephoned | | they would have telephoned |
telephoneInvented in 1876, the telephone has become a vital means of communication between people in business and everyday life. It carries sounds in the form of electrical signals along a wire. Mobile telephones are a more recent invention, allowing people to be contacted and to communicate while traveling in a car, train, and even aircraft.Thesaurus| Noun | 1. |  telephone - electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds; "I talked to him on the telephone"phone, telephone setdesk phone - a telephone set that sits on a desk or tabledial phone, dial telephone - a telephone with a dial for registering the number to be calledelectronic equipment - equipment that involves the controlled conduction of electrons (especially in a gas or vacuum or semiconductor)extension phone, telephone extension, extension - an additional telephone set that is connected to the same telephone lineFrench telephone, handset - telephone set with the mouthpiece and earpiece mounted on a single handlemouthpiece - an acoustic device; the part of a telephone into which a person speakspay-phone, pay-station - a coin-operated telephoneradiophone, radiotelephone, wireless telephone - a telephone that communicates by radio waves rather than along cablesspeakerphone - a telephone with a microphone and loudspeaker; can be used without picking up a handset; several people can participate in a call at the same timetelephone receiver, receiver - earphone that converts electrical signals into soundsphone system, telephone system - a communication system that transmits sound between distant points | | 2. |  telephone - transmitting speech at a distance telephonytelecom, telecommunication - (often plural) systems used in transmitting messages over a distance electronicallyvoice mail, voicemail - a computerized system for answering and routing telephone calls; telephone messages can be recorded and stored and relayedcall, phone call, telephone call - a telephone connection; "she reported several anonymous calls"; "he placed a phone call to London"; "he heard the phone ringing but didn't want to take the call"call forwarding - lets you transfer your incoming calls to any telephone that you can dial directcall waiting - a way of letting you know that someone else is calling when you are using your telephonephone, telephone, call up, call, ring - get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone; "I tried to call you all night"; "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning"cell phone - call up by using a cellular phone; "If the train is late, I will cell phone you"call in - make a phone call; "call in to a radio station"; "call in sick"dial - operate a dial to select a telephone number; "You must take the receiver off the hook before you dial"hold the line, hang on, hold on - hold the phone line open; "Please hang on while I get your folder" | | Verb | 1. | telephone - get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone; "I tried to call you all night"; "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning"phone, call up, call, ringtelephony, telephone - transmitting speech at a distancecell phone - call up by using a cellular phone; "If the train is late, I will cell phone you"call in - make a phone call; "call in to a radio station"; "call in sick"telecommunicate - communicate over long distances, as via the telephone or e-mailcall - send a message or attempt to reach someone by radio, phone, etc.; make a signal to in order to transmit a message; "Hawaii is calling!"; "A transmitter in Samoa was heard calling" |
telephonenoun1. phone, blower (informal), mobile (phone), handset, dog and bone (slang) They usually exchanged messages by telephone.verb1. call, phone, ring (chiefly Brit.), buzz (informal), dial, call up, give someone a call, give someone a ring (informal, chiefly Brit.), give someone a buzz (informal), give someone a bell (Brit. slang), put a call through to, give someone a tinkle (Brit. informal), get on the blower to (informal) I had to telephone him to say I was sorry.Quotations
"The telephone gives us the happiness of being together yet safely apart" [Mason Cooley City Aphorisms]
"The telephone, which interrupts the most serious conversations and cuts short the most weighty observations, has a romance of its own" [Virginia Woolf The Common Reader]telephoneverbTo communicate with (someone) by telephone:buzz, call, ring.Informal: dial, phone.Idioms: get someone on the horn, give someone a buzz.Translationstelephone (ˈtelifəun) noun (often abbreviated to phone) (foun) an instrument for speaking to someone from a distance, using either an electric current which passes along a wire or radio waves. He spoke to me by telephone / on the telephone; (also adjective) a telephone number/operator. 電話機 电话机 (often abbreviated to phone (foun) ) verb1. to (try to) speak to (someone) by means of the telephone. I'll telephone you tomorrow. 打電話 打电话2. to send (a message) or ask for (something) by means of the telephone. I'll telephone for a taxi. 用電話告知 用电话告知3. to reach or make contact with (another place) by means of the telephone. Can one telephone England from Australia? 通電話 通电话teˈlephonist (-ˈle-) noun a person who operates a telephone switchboard in a telephone exchange. 話務員 接线生，话务员 telephone booth, telephone box (also ˈcall-box) a small room or compartment containing a telephone for public use. 公用電話亭 公用电话亭telephone directory a book containing a list of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all the people with telephones in a particular area. Look them up in the telephone directory. 電話號碼簿 电话号码簿telephone exchange a central control through which telephone calls are directed. 電信局 电话局- Telephone & cell phone (US)
Telephone and mobile (UK) → 电话与手机 - How much would it cost to telephone ...? (US)
How much is it to telephone ...? (UK) → 打电话到...要多少钱？ - I need to make an emergency telephone call (US)
I need to make an urgent telephone call (UK) → 我要打一个紧急电话 - What's the telephone number? → 电话号码是什么？
telephone
play telephone tagTo engage in a series of telephone calls with another person in which each time one party calls, the other is not available to answer. Hi Mary, just leaving you another message. We've been playing a bit of telephone tag today, huh? Just give me a call back whenever you get this, thanks!See also: play, tag, telephonetelephone tagA series of telephone calls made between two people in which each time one party calls, the other is not available to answer. Hi Mary, just leaving you another message. We've had a bit of telephone tag today, huh? Just give me a call back whenever you get this, thanks!See also: tag, telephonebe on the phoneTo be talking on the telephone. The boss is on the phone right now, but I can tell her you stopped by.See also: on, phoneon the telephoneCurrently using a telephone to talk to another person. Please be quiet! Can't you see I'm on the telephone? I was on the telephone for nearly three hours trying to get through to a customer service representative.See also: on, telephonetalk on the big white (tele)phoneslang To vomit profusely and at length into a toilet. He had a few too many shots of tequila and spent the rest of the night talking on the big white telephone. You're awfully pale, Charlie. You look like you need to talk on the big white phone.See also: big, on, talk, whitetalk to God on the big white (tele)phoneslang To vomit profusely and at length into a toilet. He had a few too many shots of tequila and spent the rest of the night talking to God on the big white telephone. You're awfully pale, Charlie. You look like you need to talk to God on the big white phone.See also: big, god, on, talk, whitetalk to Hughie on the big white (tele)phoneslang To vomit profusely and at length into a toilet. "Hughie" is likely used as an onomatopoeia for the sound of someone retching. He had a few too many shots of tequila and spent the rest of the night talking to Hughie on the big white telephone. You're awfully pale, Charlie. You look like you need to talk to Hughie on the big white phone.See also: big, Hughie, on, talk, whitetalk to Huey on the big white (tele)phoneslang To vomit profusely and at length into a toilet. "Huey" is slang for "vomit," likely as an onomatopoeia for the sound one makes when vomiting. He had a few too many shots of tequila and spent the rest of the night talking to Huey on the big white telephone. You're awfully pale, Charlie. You look like you need to talk to Huey on the big white phone.See also: big, Huey, on, talk, whitetalk to Ralph on the big white (tele)phoneslang To vomit profusely and at length into a toilet. "Ralph" is slang meaning "to vomit." He had a few too many shots of tequila and spent the rest of the night talking to Ralph on the big white telephone. You're awfully pale, Charlie. You look like you need to talk to Ralph on the big white phone.See also: big, on, ralph, talk, whitetelephone in1. To call a specific location on the telephone, especially in order to relay or transmit certain information. A noun or pronoun can be used between "telephone" and "in" to specify the purpose or content of the call. We're encouraging our listeners to telephone in with their answers to our Sunday quiz. Please telephone your findings in as soon as possible.2. To perform a role or duty in a halfhearted, disinterested, or unprofessional manner. More commonly shortened to "phone in." A noun or pronoun can be used between "telephone" and "in." Everyone telephones it in on the morning after a staff party. I'm sure he got a good paycheck for the voiceover, so you'd think he could do better than telephoning in his performanceSee also: telephonetelephone into (some place)To call a specific location on the telephone, especially in order to relay or transmit certain information. A noun or pronoun can be used between "telephone" and "in" to specify the purpose or content of the call. We're encouraging our listeners to telephone into the station with their answers to our Sunday quiz. Please telephone your findings into the main office as soon as possible.See also: telephoneget onto the phoneTo begin talking to someone on the telephone. The full word "telephone" can be used as well. The boss just got onto the phone, but I can tell her you stopped by. Holly gets onto the phone with her boyfriend as soon as she comes home from school every day—it's so annoying.See also: get, phone*on the telephone and *on the phoneFig. speaking on the telephone. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) She's on the phone but won't be long. Please take a seat while I'm on the phone. Get on the phone and call him back immediately!See also: on, telephonetelephone something in (to someone)to call someone on the telephone, usually to give particular information. (The person called is in a special location, such as one's workplace or headquarters.) I will telephone my report in to my secretary. I telephoned in my report. I will telephone it in tomorrow.See also: telephoneWho do you want? and Who do you want to talk to?; Who do you want to speak to?; Who do you wish to speak to?; Who do you wish to talk to?Who do you want to speak to over the telephone? (All these questions can also begin with whom. Compare this with With whom do you wish to speak?) Sue: Wilson residence. Who do you want to speak to? Bill: Hi, Sue. I want to talk to you. Tom (answering the phone): Hello? Sue: Hello, who is this? Tom: Who do you wish to speak to? Sue: Is Sally there? Tom: Just a minute.See also: whobe on the ˈtelephone/ˈphone
1 be using the telephone: Mr Perkins is on the telephone but he’ll be with you in a moment. ♢ You’re wanted (= somebody wants to speak to you) on the telephone.
2 (British English) have a telephone in your home or place of work: They live on a small island and are not on the phone.See also: on, phone, telephonetelephone
telephone, device for communicating sound, especially speech, usually by means of wires in an electric circuit. The telephones now in general use evolved from the device invented by Alexander Graham Bell and patented by him in 1876 and 1877. Although Bell is recognized as the inventor, his telephone was preceded by many attempts to produce such an instrument. The principles on which it is based, and effective model instruments, were developed by different men at so nearly the same time that there are disputes about priority. In Bell's instrument, an electric current varied in intensity and frequency in accordance with sound waves. The sound waves caused a thin plate of soft iron, called the diaphragm, to vibrate. The vibrations disturbed the magnetic field of a bar magnet placed near the diaphragm, and this disturbance induced an electric current in a wire wound about the magnet. That current, when transmitted to a distant identical instrument, caused the diaphragm in it to vibrate, reproducing the original sound. Bell's instrument was thus both transmitter and receiver. The first notable improvement of the Bell telephone differentiated the transmitting instrument from the receiving instrument. Many other inventions have improved the telephone. The switches used to route telephone calls, which were once electromechanical, are now largely replaced by sophisticated digital electronic switching systems. The electronic switches are much more flexible because they can be programmed to provide new services. The latest generation of switches have made a number of new features possible. Users, for example, can read the telephone number of the calling party on a display device if they choose to subscribe to a "caller ID" service. In "call waiting," audio signals let a person already on a telephone know that someone else is trying to reach that person. Subscribers can also program the telephone switches to forward their calls automatically to another number ("call forwarding"). Other features include voice mailboxes and the ability to make three-way conference calls. The problems associated with long-distance and intercity telephone service have been met with increasing success. The telephone lines used include the ordinary open wire lines, lead-sheathed cablescable,
originally wire cordage of great strength or heavy metal chain used for hauling, towing, supporting the roadway of a suspension bridge, or securing a large ship to its anchor or mooring. Today a cable often refers to a line used for the transmission of electrical signals.
..... Click the link for more information. consisting of many lines, and coaxial and fiber-optic cables. Coaxial and fiber-optic cables are typically placed underground, but other cables may be either overhead or underground. Transmission of telephone messages over long distances is often accomplished by means of radio and microwave transmissions. In some cases microwaves are sent to an orbiting communications satellite (see satellite, artificialsatellite, artificial,
object constructed by humans and placed in orbit around the earth or other celestial body (see also space probe). The satellite is lifted from the earth's surface by a rocket and, once placed in orbit, maintains its motion without further rocket propulsion.
..... Click the link for more information. ) from which they are relayed back to a distant point on the earth. Cellular telephonecellular telephone
or cellular radio,
telecommunications system in which a portable or mobile radio transmitter and receiver, or "cellphone," is linked via microwave radio frequencies to base transmitter and receiver stations that connect the user to a conventional
..... Click the link for more information. systems allow small, low-power portable radio transceivers access to the telephone network; some cellular models provide access to the Internet. The incorporation of microelectronics and digital technology has led to the inclusion of unrelated applications in telephones, such as alarm clocks, calculators, and voice memos for recording short verbal reminders. A camera phone is a cellular phone that has photo taking and sending (to another camera phone or computer) capability. Similarly, a videophone transmits and receives real-time video images. With the advent of the InternetInternet, the,
international computer network linking together thousands of individual networks at military and government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, industrial and financial corporations of all sizes, and commercial enterprises (called gateways
..... Click the link for more information. , computer programs have been developed that allow voice communications across long distances, bypassing conventional carriers. The programs, which often require a computer equipped with a telephone or cable modemmodem
[modulator/demodulator], an external device or internal electronic circuitry used to transmit and receive digital data over a communications line normally used for analog signals.
..... Click the link for more information. , microphone, and speakers, compress the voice message into digital signals. In other cases, a special adapter is used to allow a standard telephone to access the Internet directly though a cable modem or other broadband connection, or an Internet telephone (IP phone) may be used instead. The digital signals may be transmitted over the Internet to another computer, which must have another copy of the same program, or to a telephone. If a connection is established with another computer, the second program decompresses the digital signals and plays the sound almost instantaneously. The advantage of using the Internet is that under current tariffs no long-distance charges accrue on a computer to computer call, regardless of the length of the conversation. The disadvantages are the inferior sound quality on dialup connections and, in some cases, the need to have computers that are running the same program and the need to establish a connection between those computers. In 1984 a federal court ordered American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) to divest its Bell Telephone operating companies (the "Baby Bells") after the court ruled that AT&T held a monopoly over U.S. telephone service. Since then, the regional operating companies and new competitors for long-distance service have grown through acquisitions and mergers. By 2007, AT&T (formerly SBC Communications, a Baby Bell, which acquired AT&T and adopted the name, and then merged in 2006 with Bell South, another Baby Bell) was the largest U.S. long-distance provider, followed by Verizon Communications (a Baby Bell that merged with MCI), and Sprint. Meanwhile, the seven Baby Bells that had been formed in 1984 were reduced to three, AT&T, Verizon, and Qwest Communications International. The distinctions between types of telephone providers, which had been created by the AT&T breakup, had disappeared, with telephone companies offering local and long-distance service in various locations, and owning wireless carriers and offering high-speed Internet service as well. At the same time these companies were also facing increasing challenges from cable televisioncable television,
the transmission of televised images to viewers by means of coaxial cables. Cable systems receive the television signal, which is sent out over cables to individual subscribers, by a common antenna (CATV) or satellite dish.
..... Click the link for more information. companies that offered Internet-based (VoIP) phone service over a broadband connection and independent VoIP companies, such as Vonage and Skype. The primary regulator of telephone service in the United States is the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
(FCC), independent executive agency of the U.S. government established in 1934 to regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest.
..... Click the link for more information. . The International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication Union
(ITU), specialized agency of the United Nations, with headquarters at Geneva. It was created in 1934 as a result of the merging of the International Telegraph Union (est.
..... Click the link for more information. coordinates aspects of international transmissions. Bibliography See T. B. Costain, Chord of Steel: The Story of the Invention of the Telephone (1960); A. M. Noll, Introduction to Telephones and Telephone Systems (2d ed. 1991). Telephone (1) The common name for the telephone set. (2) In spoken Russian, the word (telefon) used for “telephone number.” (3) Shortened form of the term “telephone communication.” What does it mean when you dream about a telephone?The telephone is a symbol of communication with multiple meanings. If the dreamer is not available, does not want to answer the ringing telephone, or hangs up it may indicate that communication from the unconscious is being ignored. telephone[′tel·ə‚fōn] (communications) A system of converting sound waves into variations in electric current that can be sent over wires and reconverted into sound waves at a distant point, used primarily for voice communication; it consists essentially of a telephone transmitter and receiver at each station, interconnecting wires or radio transmission systems, signaling devices, a central power supply, and switching facilities. Also known as telephone system. (engineering acoustics) telephone set telephoneMeaning "distance" and "sound," a telephone is the end user terminal in a telephone or voice over IP (VoIP) network. Telephone typically refers to a desktop or wall-mounted unit, whereas portable phones are called just plain "phones" or "cordless phones," "cellphones" and "smartphones," the latter two also known as "mobile phones."
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell's words, "Mr. Watson. Come here! I want you!" ushered in the age of telephony. See telephony, POTS, PSTN, DECT, cellphone and smartphone.
 | | A Century Ago |
|---|
| At the turn of the 20th century, people were "communicating over the wire" with instruments such as this Blake wall phone. (Image courtesy of Nortel Networks.) |
Telephone (dreams)In our dreams the telephone could be a symbol with which we are expressing a desire to communicate with ourselves and with others. Our unconscious and/or intuition may be trying to give us messages that we have been unwilling to listen to. If you don’t want to answer the ring, ask yourself why.MedicalSeePOTSFinancialSeetelephone boothSee PH
See Ttelephone
Related to telephone: telephone serviceSynonyms for telephonenoun phoneSynonyms- phone
- blower
- mobile (phone)
- handset
- dog and bone
verb callSynonyms- call
- phone
- ring
- buzz
- dial
- call up
- give someone a call
- give someone a ring
- give someone a buzz
- give someone a bell
- put a call through to
- give someone a tinkle
- get on the blower to
Synonyms for telephoneverb to communicate with (someone) by telephoneSynonymsSynonyms for telephonenoun electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into soundsSynonymsRelated Words- desk phone
- dial phone
- dial telephone
- electronic equipment
- extension phone
- telephone extension
- extension
- French telephone
- handset
- mouthpiece
- pay-phone
- pay-station
- radiophone
- radiotelephone
- wireless telephone
- speakerphone
- telephone receiver
- receiver
- phone system
- telephone system
noun transmitting speech at a distanceSynonymsRelated Words- telecom
- telecommunication
- voice mail
- voicemail
- call
- phone call
- telephone call
- call forwarding
- call waiting
- phone
- telephone
- call up
- ring
- cell phone
- call in
- dial
- hold the line
- hang on
- hold on
verb get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephoneSynonymsRelated Words- telephony
- telephone
- cell phone
- call in
- telecommunicate
- call
|