ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›T›telephone
ISEE/SSATeasy
telephone
a device that lets people talk to each other across long distances
Synonyms
- landline
telephone in a sentence
Before smartphones existed, families would gather around a single telephone in the hallway.
When the power went out, the only working telephone in the house was an old rotary model in the basement.
Where it comes from
From Greek tēle 'far' + phōnē 'sound or voice'
Memory hook
TELE (far) + PHONE (sound) — carrying sound across a distance.
Word parts
- phon — sound, voice
telephone: tele- (far) + phon (sound)
Read it in context
- Voices Through a Wire Science