A speech sound considered without reference to its status as a phoneme or an allophone in a language, A telephone_ generally applied to the receiver, but sometimes to the whole apparatus, electro-acoustic transducer for converting electric signals into sounds; it is held over or inserted into the ear, verb_ get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone, transitive To call (someone) on the telephone, intransitive verb_ To make or try to make a telephone connection with; place a call to, To dial (a specific number), To impart (information or news, for example) by telephone