Meanings
alternative 800 · alternative (800)
- CanadaUSA toll-free number or a long-distance telephone numbers; using any of North American toll-free area codes 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833.
866-555-1234... that's a 1-800 number, isn't it?
5 more examples
FEMA has got a 1-800 number.
1994, Bill Clinton, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, William J. ClintonWe provided a 1-800 hot line and a new food stamp tool kit which I would also like to provide for the record.
1999, 106-1 Hearing http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&vid=0tCILPy0LnkcoBE8OF0Zi49&id=i0MLwjBn5D4C&q=%22a+1-800%22+-%22a+1-800+number%22&dq=%22a+1-800%22+-%22a+1-800+number%22&pgis=1Exhibit 9.2 represents a 1-800 customer ordering process.
2001, David Wade, Ron Recardo, Corporate Performance ManagementOnce when her husband had got a 1-800 number she used to get calls from all sorts of lonely weirdos who had nothing better to do late at night than call up people they didn't know.
2001, Mark Graham, The Third DayMany people have profited from providing easy services that others do not like to do, such as a simple service like barbeque cleaning, superscoopers for cleaning up after dogs, an errand service, or a 1-800 tele-tutor service for school-age children who need assistance with their homework.
2002, Elaine Dundon, The Seeds of Innovation, page 115Synonyms: 1-800 number, 0800 number, 0500 number, 0808 number, Freefone number, toll-free number
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA toll-free number or a long-distance telephone numbers; using any of North American toll-free area codes 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833.
Origin
From 1, used to dial long-distance numbers and 800, which was, for a long time, the only North American toll-free area code.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
1-800. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/1-800
“1-800.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/1-800. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “1-800,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/1-800.
Source: 1-800 on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.