Meanings
alternative 1-1-1
- The telephone number for emergency services in New Zealand and Nauru.First known use 1956
When you call 111 in New Zealand, the Spark operator usually answers the phone with "111 Emergency. Do you require fire, ambulance, or police?"
- The telephone number for ambulance services in Papua New Guinea.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
A variant of the British 999, originally selected as an appropriate number for rotary-dial telephones and adapted in New Zealand because the formatting on its pulse-dial system made 1 equivalent to 9 as processed by its British-made telecommunications equipment.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
111. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/111
“111.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/111. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “111,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/111.
Source: 111 on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.