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phone

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noun British English pronunciation: phone /fəʊn/ 
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singularphone
pluralphones
  1. [countable] Sound effect: phone a telephone

    May I use the phone in your office?

    The phone rang five times in the next hour.

    answer the phone:

    I rang his house but his mother answered the phone (=picked it up when it rang).

    1. a.
      [singular] the system for speaking to someone on the telephone
      on the phone (=talking using the telephone):

      Our teenagers spend hours on the phone every day.

      by phone/over the phone (=using the telephone):

      We take orders by phone or by email.

    2. b.
      [singular] the part of a telephone that you speak into
      pick up/put down the phone:

      She picked up the phone but didn't speak.

      put the phone down on someone (=suddenly end your telephone conservation with someone):

      Don't you dare put the phone down on me!

    See also  cell phone

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