phone

n. [ Colloq. for Telephone. ] 1. An instrument that converts sound into signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds; a telephone; as, I talked to him on the phone.
Syn. -- telephone, telephone set. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Phonetics) An individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language. A speech sound.
Syn. -- speech sound, sound. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. A device for converting electric signals into sounds; it is held over or inserted into the ear.
Syn. -- earearpiece, headphone, phone. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To get or try to get into communication with, using a telephone; as, I phoned him this morning.
Syn. -- call, telephone, call up, ring. [ PJC ]

E. T. phone home. E. T. (the movie) [ PJC ]

n. [ Phono- + Gr. e'i^dos form + -scope. ] (Physics) An instrument for studying the motions of sounding bodies by optical means. It consists of a tube across the end of which is stretched a film of soap solution thin enough to give colored bands, the form and position of which are affected by sonorous vibrations. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A radio or telephone program, or part of a program, during which the audience participates by telephone. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

pos>n. (Linguistics) One of a small set of speech sounds that are used by and distinguished by the speakers of a particular language. They are combined into morphemes, words, and sentences. [ WordNet 1.5 + PJC ]

adj. (Linguistics) Of or pertaining to a phoneme; as, phonemic analysis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Linguistics) The study of the sound system of a given language and the analysis and classification of its phonemes.
Syn. -- phonology. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Gr. fwnhtiko`s, fr. fwnh` a sound, tone; akin to Gr. fa`nai to speak: cf. F. phonétique. See Ban a proclamation. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the voice, or its use. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Representing sounds; as, phonetic characters; -- opposed to ideographic; as, a phonetic notation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Phonetic spelling, spelling in phonetic characters, each representing one sound only; -- contrasted with Romanic spelling, or that by the use of the Roman alphabet. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a phonetic manner. [ 1913 Webster ]