telephone line
14
1.8
- noun
- /ˈtɛlɪˌfoʊn laɪn/
- Community groups continue their work through crisis telephone lines, Lifeline, and Action Education.
- a standard telephone line
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Watch on YouTubeWhat would you know the the dream is to move from a kind of hybrid system of old style telephone lines and switches to an all IP system.
- What would you know the the dream is to move from a kind of hybrid system of old style telephone lines and switches to an all IP system.
- The, the, the radio, the telephone lines go down and it allows the bombers to do a sneak attack.
- So there were a few logistical issues, and those telephone lines were lit up this week by news of the ongoing Bonnet Rouge trial.
Examples
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The technician inspected the telephone line to ensure it was functioning properly.
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We need to repair the broken telephone line before the storm hits.
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So it is actually the same as a normal UK telephone line, which is interesting to know.
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This is a separate telephone line.
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There is a telephone line here.
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The telephone lines have been cut.
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Let's hope this telephone line works.
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Telephone lines should be kept open for official use.
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The telephone lines are repaired and they're sending help.
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A BBS usually requires users to dial in through telephone lines to access specialized information or services.
Academic text (1995)
Synonyms
89
1.6
A wire that carries telephone calls between two places
33
3.3
A phone that uses wires to connect, not a mobile network
8
2.4
A thin metal line that carries phone calls
6
3.7
A phone line used only by one person or business
2
6.4
A main phone line connecting phone centers to carry many calls
1
7.2
A cable that carries data or phone signals
1
4.0
A telephone wire that connects a home or building to the local phone exchange
1
3.6
A fast internet connection that uses a telephone line
1
4.0
A connection that carries voice calls between two places
How Wireless
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a wire or circuit that carries telephone signals' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'telephone' (device for distant voice communication) with 'line' (a channel or conduit); a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to the communication connection for telephones. This noun–noun compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish línea telefónica, French ligne téléphonique), supporting immediate comprehension.
Etymology
The noun telephone line comes from the simple picture of a long line of wire that joins two telephones across streets and fields. So it means 'a wire that carries telephone signals and lets people make calls'.