Cellphone

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛlfəʊn/

Definitions

1. A mobile electronic device designed for communication via calls and texts, also providing internet connectivity and access to various applications
2. An electronic handheld device that enables voice calls, text messaging, and online browsing through cellular networks
3. A portable communication device used for making voice calls and sending texts, which also allows access to the internet and multiple applications

Etymology: "Cellphone" is a clipped compound, built from "cellular phone" and shortened by dropping the adjective's ending. The "cellular" in the original name refers to the network design behind these devices: the service area is divided into small geographic zones, or cells, each served by its own transmitter, and a call is handed from one cell to the next as the user moves. The phone was named for that cellular system rather than for any cell in the sense of a tiny room or a biological unit. The shortened form became common as the device spread, and the two spellings, "cellphone" as one word and "cell phone" as two, both remain in use. Dictionaries record the compact version as an alternative to the spaced one, so the word has settled into the same pattern as other clipped technology terms, where a long descriptive phrase gives way to a handful of letters that everyone understands.

Synonyms: mobile, smartphone, cell, handset, device