long-distance call
11
2.3
- noun
- /ˈlɔːŋˈdɪstəns kɔːl/
:
llamada de larga distancia
- I want to place a long-distance call to Los Angeles.
- make long-distance calls
- place a long-distance call
- dial long-distance calls
And that was the exact tone to start a long distance call on AT&T;.
- And that was the exact tone to start a long distance call on AT&T;.
Examples
-
"Captain, there's a long-distance call for you," Finnerty's secretary said through the open door.
Fiction book (1990) -
If you want to make a long-distance call, go ahead.
Fiction book (1994) -
I have to make a long distance call.
-
Who else would spend all his money on a long distance call to you?
-
So she said, "I recently got a long distance call from a Mr. Travis."
Fiction book (1993) -
Operator, I'd like to make a long distance call, please.
-
Hank makes a long-distance call from his hotel room.
Fiction book (1990) -
"Mom, okay if I make a long distance call?" Gretchen asked, seizing the moment.
Fiction book (1995) -
Most cellphone plans include free long-distance calls, and for those that don't, there's Skype.
Blog text (30) -
I want to place a long-distance call to Los Angeles.
Synonyms
46
3.2
A phone call to a place far away that costs extra
1
9.8
A phone call to a place outside your local area that usually costs more
1
4.9
A phone call to another city that costs more than a local call
Antonyms
5
1.0
A phone call made inside the same town or area, usually cheaper than a long-distance call
How Far
11
2.3
5
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
long-distance + call
The phrase 'long-distance call' is directly compositional: 'long-distance' (over a long distance) modifies 'call', so a learner who knows 'long' and 'distance' and 'call' can infer it means a telephone call to a faraway place. This is a common, cross-linguistic compound pattern and the extra-charge nuance is a predictable consequence, so the expression is immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The phrase long-distance call comes from the early days of telephones, when a call had to travel a very long distance along many wires to reach another city and so cost extra. That's why it now means 'a phone call to another area' that usually 'costs more'.