telephone

n 1: an instrument that converts sound into signals that can be

transmitted over distances and then converts received

signals back into sounds; "I talked to him on the

telephone" [syn: {phone}, {telephone set}]

2: transmitting speech at a distance [syn: {telephony}]

v : get or try to get into communication by telephone; "I tried

to call you all night"; "Take two aspirin and call me in

the morning" [syn: {call}, {call up}, {phone}, {ring}]

telephony

Communication, often two-way, of spoken

information, by means of electrical signals carried by wires

or radio waves. The term was used to indicate transmission of

the voice, as distinguished from telegraphy (done in {Morse

code} and usually called "{continuous wave}" or CW

transmission), radio teletypewriter (RTTY) transmission (also

called FSK for "{Frequency Shift Keying}", the modulation

scheme used by such machines), and later, facimile.

(1995-03-14)