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Glite Dictionary
telephone wire

telephone wire

4 2.4
A thin metal line that carries phone calls
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛlɪˌfoʊn waɪər/
translation icon : cable telefónico
  • Our houses were connected by a telephone wire that stretched through our yards, a switchboard underground, and all its lights ablaze.
  • cut the telephone wire

Examples

  • Soon afterward, the first clinic's telephone wires were cut.

    Academic text (2001)

  • See that telephone wire?

    Glass Trap (2005)

  • Was it you who pulled out the telephone wire in the bedroom?

    Academic text (2007)

  • Who cut the telephone wires?

    The Night of the Generals (1967)

  • The telephone wires have been repaired.

    Thunder on the Hill (1951)

  • The owner, W. F. Bell, claimed that someone cut the telephone wires to his house before the fire began.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Outside, Nick catches a quick glimpse of sparks racing across the telephone wires suspended above the backyard.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The sky pales to pink-white through the telephone wires; the birds peck the dewy evening lawn for worms.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The technician climbed the pole to fix the broken telephone wire that disrupted service.

  • After the storm, many homes were left without internet due to damaged telephone wires.

Synonyms

phone line
vstelephone wire
73 1.6

A wire that carries telephone calls between two places

is the basic physical conductor rather than the whole connection service
landline
vstelephone wire
38 3.3

A phone that uses wires to connect, not a mobile network

is the physical conductor itself regardless of mobile or fixed network type
telephone line
vstelephone wire
13 1.8

A wire that carries voices so people can call each other

is the simple physical conductor that only transmits signals between locations
wireline
vstelephone wire
  • Specialized
2 7.2

A cable that carries data or phone signals

is specifically a conductor meant for transmitting voice signals between devices
subscriber line
vstelephone wire
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A telephone wire that connects a home or building to the local phone exchange

is the plain conductor between devices, not tied to a single customer's link

How Durable

fiber optic cable
  • Specialized
7 3.9
telephone wire
4 2.4
phone cord
4 1.9

Surface Forms

telephone wire singular
telephone wires plural

Morphology

telephone + wire

The compound 'telephone wire' is a straightforward noun–noun combination whose meaning ('a wire used for telephone communication') is directly derivable from the constituents 'telephone' and 'wire'. This is a common compositional pattern in English (and mirrors constructions in many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Telephone wire comes from the simple picture of a thin wire that connects telephones so a person's 'voice' can travel along it. So it means the actual wire that carries phone sound or messages.