Cell phones meaning in English

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Definition

a cell(ular) (phone): a portable phone, a phone that can you can take with you anywhere noun
my cell phone number, "my cell" the number of my cell or mobile phone
a mobile (phone): a portable phone, a phone that can you can take with you anywhere noun

UK: In Britain we say mobile phone, not cell phone.
US: I lost my cell phone in the canal.

Examples

  • "Edward : Wow Philip, you've got one of those new cellphones without a keypad – the ones where you touch the screen with your fingers!"
  • "My number here at the office is 123-1234, or, you can give me a call on my cellular phone at 567-5678."
  • "No cellphone tones in my home!"
  • "Telephone : If it's urgent, you can try to reach him on his cell phone"
  • "Fall 3: My titanium cell phone asked me if I wanted to "unlock the keypad" - but no damage."
  • "Are you calling from a cell phone?"
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate term from the conversation you just heard.

A is a portable or mobile phone.
At the end of the dialogue, Jennifer tells Philip she will the phone, or end the conversation. (Two words).

Both of these terms were used in the dialogue.
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate term from the conversation you just heard.

A cell 1 is a portable or mobile phone.
At the end of the dialogue, Jennifer tells Philip she will hang up 2 the phone, or end the conversation. (Two words).

Both of these terms were used in the dialogue.
1 cell: In this conversation, Philip uses the term a "cell", which is short for "cellular phone", or "mobile phone".
2 hang up: The phrasal verb "to hang up" means to end a phone call, or to replace the receiver of a telephone on the cradle or base of the machine. In this conversation, Jennifer tells Philip that she is "hanging up", or "ending the conversation".
Exercise 2
Trey asks if the caller is calling from .
Trey asks if the caller is calling from a mobile phone.
a mobile phone: Trey asks if the caller is calling from a "cell phone". The terms "mobile phone" and "cell phone" are synonymous, although "cell phone" is used mainly in the US. A "cell" is also the smallest structural unit of an organism that is capable of independent functioning!
a small room: A "cell" can refer to a secure, confined room, which might be found in a police station or prison. This is not what Trey is referring to when he asks about the caller's cell phone.
a land line: A "land line" is a telephone line which travels over terrestrial circuits or travels over the ground. They are also called "fixed lines". Cell phones use receivers that send signals through the air, as opposed "land lines" which use circuits on the ground.
South Africa: The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent. Neither the caller not Trey mentions South Africa in this conversation.
the seventy-sixth floor: The caller asks to be connected to "extension 1764". There is no mention of floor number 76. An extension is a short number, generally used in organizations with multiple departments, used to identify an individual or a department.
Exercise 3
Now help Icarus write a "post-it" note for Brian!

05/12 - 2:56pm Charlie phoned for you.
He will be in SF on .
Wants to meet and with you.
Call him on his .
Now help Icarus write a "post-it" note for Brian!

05/12 - 2:56pm Charlie phoned for you.
He will be in SF on Monday the 17th 1.
Wants to meet and talk about the past 2 with you.
Call him on his cell phone 3.
1 Monday the 17th: This is the right choice. Charlie says he is available on "Monday the 17th". Icarus correctly notes this date on his "post-it" note. Icarus could have also written "Monday 17 (November)" or "Monday 17th (November)".
1 Monday the 7th: Right day but wrong date, I'm afraid! Be careful to listen out for the "teenth" after the seven!
1 Tuesday the 17th: Right date but wrong day, I'm afraid!
1 Monday the 19th: Right day but wrong date, I'm afraid!
2 talk about the past: This is correct. Charlie says that he wants to meet up with Brian and talk about "old times". This means Charlie wants to remember and discuss shared experiences in a nostalgic way. We often call this "reminiscing". For example: "Charlie and Brian reminisced about the good times they spent together as hostages in the middle east".
2 talk about business: This is incorrect. The expression "to talk about old times" is unrelated to business. It is extremely unlikely that "discussing old times" has any business connotation whatsoever. In fact Charlie refers to Brian with an informal "nickname" (Jonesy) which suggests that the intended meeting is of a personal nature.
2 talk about a specific incident: This is incorrect. "Talking about old times" indicates no specific topic of conversation. The expression describes a general discussion of common past experiences.
2 talk about phones: This is incorrect. Charlie and Icarus spend a lot of time talking about phone numbers, however the expression "to talk about old times" is unrelated to a discussion about telephones.
3 cell phone: This is the best choice. Charlie says "it's probably best if (Brian) reaches me on my mobile". "To reach" has a few meanings, but here the term refers to "contacting someone by telephone". Note that in the UK we say "mobile phone", while in American English the term "cell phone" is used. Both terms are understood by English speakers.
3 land line: This is not the best choice. A "land line" telephone is a "main line" or "fixed-line" telephone that stays in one place. This term is usually used to describe the telephone that people have in their house or home.
3 internet phone: This is not the best choice. Although it is now possible to telephone "over the internet" using voice over IP technology (such as Skype), a "mobile phone" refers simply to a portable or cellular telephone.
3 speaker phone: This is not the best choice. A "speaker phone" is not really a type of phone but rather an option on a phone that allows you to communicate "hands-free" at a certain distance from the receiver. It is often used if several people need to talk during a phone call (and also for humiliating shy people!).
Exercise 4
"It would be quicker if you used this device..."

Which of the following things might also be referred to as devices? There may be more than one correct answer!
"It would be quicker if you used this device..."

Which of the following things might also be referred to as devices? There may be more than one correct answer!
"Books" are not examples of "devices". Although they're great, books are not complex enough to be described as "devices".
This is not a good choice. Food is never referred to as a "device".
Yes, a cellular phone is a type of "device". "Device" is a word that refers generally to any sort of mechanical or electrical object.
This is not a good choice. A bottle of perfume is too simple to be called a "device". It is simply an "object" or "item".
This is a good choice. A printer is a technologically advanced machine with a specific purpose, so it is a device.
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks to complete the song!

Telephone: You have the of Brian Jones!
Brian: Please a message after the .
Telephone: If it's , you can try to reach him on his . (two words)
Brian: -6000-.
Telephone: Please leave a message, and he will ! (four words)
Brian: Really soon!
Telephone: Maybe !
Brian: Or even today!
Fill in the blanks to complete the song!

Telephone: You have reached 1 the voicemail 2 of Brian Jones!
Brian: Please leave 3 a message after the tone 4.
Telephone: If it's urgent 5, you can try to reach him on his cell phone 6. (two words)
Brian: 415 7-6000-839 8.
Telephone: Please leave a message, and he will get back to you 9! (four words)
Brian: Really soon!
Telephone: Maybe tomorrow 10!
Brian: Or even today!
1 reached: "Reached" is the right answer here. We often begin voicemail or answer phone messages with "you have reached the voicemail of X". To "reach" in this context is "to arrive at".
2 voicemail: This is the right term. Your "voicemail" is your "answer phone": a telephone message box where people can leave voice messages for you to listen to. Your voicemail is very useful if you can't answer your phone because you're in a meeting, bungee jumping, etc.
3 leave: "Leave" is the term used here. "Please leave a message" is a very useful telephone phrase! If you are talking to someone on the phone, it would make more sense to say "Would you like to leave a message?".
4 tone: "Tone" is the right word here. A "tone" in this context is a "beep" or short musical note. "Leave a message after the tone" is an indication to a caller that they should start talking after the beep! This is a great sentence to use in your voicemail! In another context, "tone" can refer to pitch or intonation: "The tone of his voice makes me laugh".
5 urgent: "Urgent" is the right answer. If something is "urgent", it is "pressing" or "needs to be dealt with quickly". Example: "-I need to talk to Bruno. -Is it urgent? He's in a meeting. -Yes, it's urgent! His dog Stink is unwell!".
6 cell phone: "Cell phone" is the correct term here. "Cell phone" is the term used in the USA to describe portable phones that you can keep in your pocket. You might be interested to know that the British name for these phones is "mobile phone" or just "mobile". In the USA, this term is sometimes shortened to just "cell".
7 415: 415 are the first digits in Brian's cell phone number. In the USA, the first 3 digits of a phone number represent an "area code". 415 is San Francisco, 212 is New York City, etc. Noting down a telephone number can be tricky, but it's a very useful skill!
8 839: These are the right numbers to end Brian's cell phone number. In the USA and the UK, telephone numbers are usually given digit by digit, so 630537 would be pronounced as "six three zero (or 'oh") five three seven. It's simple really!
9 get back to you: This is the right phrase. To "get back to someone" is to "respond to someone" or to "reply to someone". In the context of this voicemail message, "to get back to you" means "to return your call" or "to telephone you". Here's another example: "If you'd like to leave your name and number, I'll ask Bruno to get back to you as soon as possible".
10 tomorrow: "Tomorrow" is the term we hear here! Tomorrow is the day after today.

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