noun
answerphone
AN-sur-fohn
Answerphone (noun) means a telephone device that automatically records messages from callers. Example: “Leave a message on the answerphone and I'll call you back.”
noun
1
A telephone device that automatically records messages from callers.
"It started with a message in my office on that fiendish modern invention, second in its monstrousness only to the television, the answerphone."
— Theodore Dalrymple, If Symptoms Persist (2012)
"Leave a message on the answerphone and I'll call you back."
"I keep trying to call her, but all I get is the answerphone."
How to use answerphone
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA machine attached to a phone that records messages when nobody picks up.
UK vs US
Mainly British English; American English typically says "answering machine" or "voicemail."
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Word forms
- Plural
- answerphones
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Leave a message on the _____ and I'll call you back.
Etymology
A blend of answer and (tele)phone.
Rhymes for answerphone
See all rhymes for answerphone →Frequently asked questions
What does “answerphone” mean?
The word “answerphone” means a telephone device that automatically records messages from callers. In plain terms, a machine attached to a phone that records messages when nobody picks up.
How do you pronounce “answerphone”?
“Answerphone” is pronounced AN-sur-fohn (/ˈæn.sɜː(ɹ)ˌfəʊn/ in IPA).
How do you use “answerphone” in a sentence?
Here is “answerphone” used in a sentence: “Leave a message on the answerphone and I'll call you back.”
What part of speech is “answerphone”?
“Answerphone” is a noun.
