telephone book

noun

: a book listing the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of telephone customers

Examples of telephone book in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thereafter he was regularly seen on British TV screens tossing cabers, dragging lorries and ripping apart telephone books. The Week Uk, theweek, 2 Nov. 2024 Different news reporters in the Dayton, Ohio, area reported that Ouma's grandfather, Loren Berry, was the founder of the Yellow Pages telephone books. Annie Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024 Like pages torn from old telephone books— all of the names swallowed up by the cold. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024 The easiest pressing method calls for absorbent paper and heavy books (like an old telephone book). Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2023 Also included were the original back bar phone and Boston area telephone book. Brittany Bowker, BostonGlobe.com, 5 June 2023 But in all fairness, Catherine Keener would be great just reading a telephone book. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2022 Another recurring theme in the book brings to mind William F. Buckley’s pronouncement (which has many versions) that he would rather be governed by names taken from the telephone book than by the Harvard faculty. Fred O’Brien, National Review, 3 Mar. 2022 Facebook has become the telephone book (and birthday calendar) of the Internet. Joanna Stern, WSJ, 4 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of telephone book was in 1883

Dictionary Entries Near telephone book

Cite this Entry

“Telephone book.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telephone%20book. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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