verb
telephone
TEH-lih-fohn
verb
1
To call someone or pass on information using a phone.
"She telephoned her mother the moment she landed."
"Please telephone the office if you'll be late."
How to Use Telephone
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo call someone or send a message by phone — mostly a slightly formal alternative to "phone" or "call."
When to use it
In everyday speech people usually just say "call" or "phone"; "telephone" as a verb sounds a bit formal or old-fashioned.
Common pairings
telephone the office
telephone a friend
Word Forms
telephoned past tense, telephones singular
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She _____ her mother the moment she landed.
Etymology
Built from tele- ("far off") and -phone ("sound"), modelled on the German word Telephon. The device itself was popularised from 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell.