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Telephone vs Telegram - What's the difference?

telephone | telegram |

As nouns the difference between telephone and telegram

is that telephone is an electronic device used for two-way talking with other people (often shortened to phone) while telegram is a message transmitted by telegraph.

As verbs the difference between telephone and telegram

is that telephone is to contact someone by dialing his or her telephone number; to make someone's telephone ring using one's own telephone while telegram is to send a telegram.

telephone

English

(wikipedia telephone)

Noun

(en noun)
  • An electronic device used for two-way talking with other people (often shortened to phone).
  • (US) Chinese whispers.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2013
    • , date=October 27 , author=Erik Adams , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “The PTA Disbands” , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=And since the spring of 1995, no game of telephone has ended without some Simpsons-loving smart-ass dropping “purple monkey dishwasher” into the chain. }}

    Synonyms

    * blower, phone, farspeaker, Ameche (slang), dog and bone (slang), horn (informal) * See also

    Derived terms

    * mobile telephone * public telephone * telephone book * telephone box * telephone call * telephone conference * telephone tag * telephonic * telephony

    Verb

    (telephon)
  • To contact someone by dialing his or her telephone number; to make someone's telephone ring using one's own telephone.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1913, author=
    • , title=Lord Stranleigh Abroad , chapter=4 citation , passage=“I came down like a wolf on the fold, didn’t I??? Why didn’t I telephone ??? Strategy, my dear boy, strategy. This is a surprise attack, and I’d no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. …”}}

    Synonyms

    * call, drop a line, phone, ring * See also

    telegram

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (rare)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A message transmitted by telegraph.
  • *
  • *:There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place. Pushing men hustle each other at the windows of the purser's office, under pretence of expecting letters or despatching telegrams .

    • Synonyms

    * wire, cable

    Verb

    (telegramm)
  • To send a telegram.