telephonist

T1E1L1E1P3H4O1N1I1S1T1

noun

A telephone operator.

Similar
telephone operatorswitchboard operator
OriginEnglish telephone ← French téléphone ← Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ) →
RareScrabble 16
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Meanings

nountelephonist (plural telephonists)

plural telephonists

  1. A telephone operator.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsomeone who helps callers get the person they are calling

Similar
telephone operatorswitchboard operator
Broader
operatormanipulator
Also see
telephone operator

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchtélé-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰōnā́
  4. Ancient Greekφωνή (phōnḗ)
  5. Frenchtéléphone
  6. Englishtelephone
  7. Englishtelephonist

From telephone + -ist.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

telephonist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telephonist

MLA

“telephonist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telephonist. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “telephonist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telephonist.

Source: telephonist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.