telephoneとは意味・読み方・使い方

語源

First used by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 to refer to the modern instrument, but previous devices had been given this name, which was borrowed from French téléphone. Ultimately from Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle, “afar”) + φωνή (phōnḗ, “voice, sound”).

発音

• (Received 発音) IPA^(key): /ˈ tɛl.ɪˌfəʊn/, /ˈ tɛl.əˌfəʊn/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈ tɛl.əˌfoʊn/
• ハイフネーション: tel‧e‧phone

名詞

telephone (countable かつ uncountable, 複数形 telephones)

1. A telecommunication device (originally mechanical, かつ now electronic) used for two-way talking with another person (now often shortened to phone).

   Synonyms: (スラング) blower, phone, (スラング) Ameche, (スラング) dog and bone, (くだけた用法) horn, (スラング) pipe; see also Thesaurus:phone

   Hyponym: cellphone

2. (Canada, 米国用法, uncountable) The game of Chinese whispers.
   • 2013 October 27, Erik Adams, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “The PTA Disbands””, in The Onion AV Club‎^[1]:

     And since the spring of 1995, no game of telephone has ended without some Simpsons-loving smart-ass dropping “purple monkey dishwasher” into the chain.

3. (Canada, 米国用法, uncountable, figuratively) Chinese whispers; a situation in which an initial message has been distorted and misunderstood by being passed from person to person.
   • 2017 October 3, David Dobbs, “The Touch of Madness”, in Pacific Standard‎^[2]:

     In other words, Jones' career and life may have been derailed because a game of telephone went bad.

派生語

動詞

telephone (三人称単数 現在形 telephones, 現在分詞 telephoning, 過去形および過去分詞形 telephoned)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To (attempt to) contact someone using a telephone.
   • 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad‎^[3]:

     “I came down like a wolf on the fold, didn’t I ?  Why didn’t I telephone ?  Strategy, my dear boy, strategy. This is a surprise attack, and I’d no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. …”

   • 1961 November, “Talking of Trains: Derailment near Holmes Chapel”, in Trains Illustrated, page 652:

     The length ganger saw the train passing with the van derailed and promptly telephoned the Sandbach signalman, who restored his signals to danger, but not in time to stop the train before the final derailment occurred.

2. (transitive) To convey (a message) via telephone.
   • 2012, Robert Byron, ‎Jan Morris, Europe in the Looking-Glass

     David telephoned his apologies to his mother.

同意語

• call, drop a line, phone, ring
• See also Thesaurus:telephone