Definition of dial tone
: a tone emitted by a telephone as a signal that the system is ready for dialing
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Recent Examples of dial tone from the Web
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That allows the phone to start drawing power, giving the user a dial tone—the signal that the phone is ready to be used.
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This principle continued as time advanced, technology changed, and Internet access became the dial tone of the digital age.
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In some cases, the sound of a dial tone may constitute service under the tariff test and therefore not even trigger a public comment and review.
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This is a man who will debate with dial tones, or give 10 minutes to one of those automated airplane updates that’s announcing a flight delay.
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Those that made such pleas on the airwaves were among the lucky few whose landlines still got a dial tone, or whose cell still picked up a signal — people like Zuania Capó, whose working cell phone turned her into a traveling dispatcher.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dial tone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of dial tone
1923
DIAL TONE Defined for English Language Learners
dial tone
Definition of dial tone for English Language Learners
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: the sound that comes from a telephone when it is ready for a call to be made
Learn More about dial tone
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See words that rhyme with dial tone Spanish Central: Translation of dial tone Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dial tone
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