pocket dial
- noun
- /ˈpɑkɪt daɪl/
- She realized she had made a pocket dial to her friend during the meeting.
Examples
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He quickly apologized after his pocket dial interrupted the conference call.
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Sometimes a pocket dial can lead to funny surprises.
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I received a pocket dial from Sarah yesterday.
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Did you get a pocket dial from me?
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I accidentally made a pocket dial to my friend while my phone was in my bag.
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Last week, I received a pocket dial from my coworker during a meeting.
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She often gets pocket dials when her phone slips out of her pocket.
Synonyms
A time when someone phones another person
A time when you talk to someone by telephone
A time when you speak with someone by phone
A short phone call to someone
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly inferable from combining 'pocket' (where a phone may sit) with 'dial' (to make a call): it describes a call produced by the pocket pressing the phone. This is a transparent, compositional compound that a B1 learner who knows both words would very likely understand without prior exposure.
Etymology
Pocket dial comes from the image of a phone sitting in a pocket while its buttons or dial are pressed by mistake. So it means 'an accidental phone call' made when your phone is in your pocket or bag.