ADJ
pay, public
office, private
She didn't want to discuss her personal problems on the office telephone.
cellular, cordless, mobile, portable | radio, satellite
VERB + TELEPHONE
use
I need to use the telephone to call my doctor about an appointment tomorrow.
be on
She was on the telephone with her mother when the doorbell rang.
answer, get
I was in the shower when I heard the phone ring, so my roommate had to answer the telephone.
pick up
When the phone rang during dinner, she quickly picked up the telephone to answer it.
hang up, put down
After the difficult conversation, he hung up the telephone and sat in silence.
leave/take off the hook
She took the telephone off the hook so she wouldn't be disturbed during her exam.
be wanted on
Your mother called earlier and said she was wanted on the telephone urgently.
call sb to
I was called to the telephone while I was cooking dinner last night.
bug, tap | connect, install | disconnect
TELEPHONE + VERB
ring, shrill
The telephone rang three times before anyone picked up the receiver.
be off the hook
TELEPHONE + NOUN
number | book, directory | bill | call, message | conversation, enquiry, interview, query, survey
contact
During the emergency, the rescue team maintained telephone contact with the trapped miners every hour.
helpline, hotline, support
If you have a problem, you can call our telephone support team during business hours.
company | banking, marketing, service | charges | cord, headset, receiver | cable, exchange, line, network, switchboard, system, wire | box, kiosk
voice
She has such a warm telephone voice that customers always feel welcome when they call.
PREP
by ~
You can reach the customer service team by telephone during business hours.
on the ~
My boss called me on the telephone to discuss the project deadline.
over the ~
She preferred to discuss the job offer over the telephone rather than by email.