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Glite Dictionary
desk phone

desk phone

1 1.7
A telephone that sits on a desk with a handset and buttons
  • noun
  • /dɛsk foʊn/
translation icon : teléfono de escritorio
  • Ike picked up the receiver of her desk phone and shoved it against her other ear.
  • dial the desk phone

Examples

  • I answered a call on my desk phone while working on my computer.

  • He quickly picked up his desk phone to call the client back.

  • "She grabbed the desk phone and punched numbers.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Oh, and yes, the red light blinking on your desk phone requires urgent attention!

    Blog text (9)

  • Ike hung up the desk phone.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Sidney grabs the desk phone.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • "She walked to her desk phone, punched 21 for Richard's office, and hoped he wasn't there.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Gillsworth stood, walked rather shakily to the desk phone, and dialed his number.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Her desk phone started ringing during the meeting, causing a disturbance.

Synonyms

dial phone
vsdesk phone
  • Archaic
1 6.8

A telephone with a round wheel you turn to enter numbers

is the tabletop model that uses buttons for number entry
telephone set
vsdesk phone
1.5

A device for making and receiving phone calls

is the tabletop device with a handset and a keypad

Antonyms

mobile phone
58 1.0

A small telephone you carry to call, text, and go online

How Portable

mobile phone
58 1.0
desk phone
1 1.7
landline
38 3.3

Surface Forms

desk phone singular
desk phones plural

Morphology

desk + phone

The meaning 'a telephone set designed to sit on a desk' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'desk' (furniture with a flat surface) and 'phone' (a device for calls); the compound specifies the phone's typical location or use. This noun-noun compounding pattern is common and cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Desk phone is a simple compound that paints a clear picture: a phone that sits on a desk. So it means 'a phone meant to stay on a desk or table, not a mobile phone'.