noun: (phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language
noun: electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
Example: "I talked to him on the telephone"
noun: electro-acoustic transducer for converting electric signals into sounds; it is held over or inserted into the ear
Example: "It was not the typing but the earphones that she disliked"
verb: get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone
