Definition

A type of telephone that records messages from callers so you can listen to them later.

Example

I missed the call, but my answerphone recorded the message.

Conversation

Did you check your answerphone for messages today?

No, I forgot! I hope there’s nothing urgent.

You might want to listen to it later, just in case.

Yeah, I’ll do that after dinner.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Answerphone → It is formed from "answer" (from Old English "andswarian", meaning to respond) and "phone" (from Greek "phone", meaning voice or sound). The word "answerphone" refers to a device that responds to calls by recording messages, thus combining the concepts of responding and sound.

Memory Tip

Think of a device that 'responds' ('answer') to 'sound' ('phone') — that's what an answerphone does.

Visually Confused Words