Telephoning

/ˈtɛlɪfoʊnɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Making phone calls or communicating by telephone (present participle of telephone).

Etymology

From Greek 'tele' meaning distant and 'phone' meaning sound. Coined in the 1870s as telephone technology was being developed; the verb form came shortly after.

Kelly Says

The word 'telephone' perfectly describes what it does—'tele' (far) and 'phone' (sound)—meaning to send sound far away, which is why Alexander Graham Bell's invention got exactly the right name!

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