Videophone

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A technology that allows users to see and hear each other through a device during conversations conducted over a telecommunications network
2. A device designed to facilitate two-way visual and audio communication between remote parties in real time
3. A communication system that enables simultaneous visual and auditory interaction between individuals over a networked connection

Etymology: "Videophone" is a plain compound, formed from "video-" and "phone." The first element comes from Latin "videre," meaning "to see," and was attached to "video" in the twentieth century to mean the transmission and display of moving images, while "phone" comes from Greek "phōnē," meaning "sound" or "voice." Joined together, the pair describes a telephone that carries pictures as well as speech. The word is a good example of how English builds new terms from existing parts. Once "telephone" had established the "phone" element for voice communication at a distance, "video-" offered a ready prefix for adding sight to that sound, and the same pattern produced related terms such as "videoconference" and "videotelephony." The clarity of the parts explains the meaning, so the word needs little more than a description of its two halves.

Synonyms: video phone