Landline

/ˈlændlaɪn/ noun

Definition

A telephone connection that uses wires or cables fixed to buildings, as opposed to a mobile or wireless phone.

Etymology

Compound of 'land' (solid ground) and 'line' (wire connection), distinguishing fixed phones from mobile cellular networks that emerged later. Became common terminology in the 1980s.

Kelly Says

Landlines are basically extinct in many countries now, but they represent when phones were tied to places rather than people—it's wild how recently we made that shift.

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