touch-tone

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a telephone having push buttons that produce tones corresponding to numbers

Examples of touch-tone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rotary phones, once a staple in the typical mid-century living room, were largely relegated to dusty basements and landfills following the introduction of the push-button touch-tone phone. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from Touch-Tone, a trademark

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of touch-tone was in 1960

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Touch-tone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch-tone. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

touch-tone

adjective
ˈtəch-ˈtōn,
-ˌtōn
: of, relating to, or being a telephone having push buttons that produce tones corresponding to numbers
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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