different between telephone vs ringback

English

Etymology

First used by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 to refer to the modern instrument, but previous devices had been given this name, which was borrowed from French téléphone. Ultimately from Ancient Greek ???? (têle, “afar”) + ???? (ph?n?, “voice, sound”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /? t?l.??f??n/, /? t?l.??f??n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /? t?l.??fo?n/
• Hyphenation: tel?e?phone

Noun

telephone (countable and uncountable, plural telephones)

1. A telecommunication device (originally mechanical, and now electronic) used for two-way talking with another person (now often shortened to phone).
2. (Canada, US, uncountable) The game of Chinese whispers.

Synonyms

• blower, phone, farspeaker, Ameche (slang), dog and bone (slang), horn (informal)
• See also Thesaurus:phone

Hyponyms

• cellphone

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

telephone (third-person singular simple present telephones, present participle telephoning, simple past and past participle telephoned)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To (attempt to) contact someone using the telephone.
2. (transitive) To convey (a message) by telephoning.
   • 2012, Robert Byron, ?Jan Morris, Europe in the Looking-Glass

     David telephoned his apologies to his mother.

Synonyms

• call, drop a line, phone, ring
• See also Thesaurus:telephone

Translations

Anagrams

• phenetole

English

Etymology

ring +? back

Noun

ringback (uncountable)

1. (telecommunications) The sound transmitted back to a caller to indicate that the telephone they are calling is ringing.
2. (telecommunications) A telephone feature allowing a person to receive an automatic call back when a busy line becomes free.

Anagrams

• king crab