Cellphone

/ˈsɛlfoʊn/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonTechnology
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase1 question

Definitions

1

A mobile phone that connects to a cellular network.

/ˈsɛlfoʊn/

nounneutralBeginner
Technology

A portable telephone

My cellphone is ringing.

💡 Simply: It's like a regular phone, but you can take it anywhere because it connects to a giant network of tiny towers!

👶 For kids: It's a phone you can take with you anywhere!

More Examples

2

I need to charge my cellphone.

How It's Used

Everyday Conversation

"I lost my cellphone yesterday."

Technology

"The new cellphone has advanced features."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Idioms & expressions

on the cellphone

Using a cellphone.

"He was on the cellphone for hours."

A blend of "cell" (referencing cellular network) and "phone" (telephone). Its usage became widespread with the development of mobile cellular networks in the late 20th century.

The term 'cellphone' gained widespread use in the 1980s and 1990s with the rise of mobile phone technology.

Memory tip

Think of 'cell' as in a small compartment of the network and 'phone' as the device.

Word Origin

Original meaning

"A combination of 'cell' (referring to a small area of a cellular network) and 'phone' (telephone)."

cellphone numberanswer the cellphoneuse a cellphone

Common misspellings

cellphoncell fonecell phone

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written