A telephone device that produces a buzzing sound as a signal or alert, rather than a traditional ringing tone.
Compound word from 'buzzer' (a device that makes a buzzing sound, from 'buzz' + '-er' agent suffix) combined with 'phone' (short for telephone, from Greek 'tele-' meaning 'distant' and 'phone' meaning 'sound').
Early telephone systems needed audible signals, and the buzzer was one solution—it's far more electricity-efficient than a traditional bell, which is why buzzers became standard in intercoms, doorbells, and early phone systems throughout the 20th century.
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