handset

Everyday

1. The part of a telephone that you hold to your ear and mouth. tree →
2. A mobile phone. tree →
3. A hand-held remote control or device. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday and technology talk it means a phone or the part of a phone you hold. Shops say «handset» for mobile phones. Phrases: mobile handset, pick up the handset, cordless handset.

Examples

• Grandma picked up the handset and said hello. tree →
• The shop sells the newest mobile handsets. tree →
• Put the cordless handset back on its base to charge it. tree →
• My dad's old handset still works. tree →
• The TV handset is lost under the sofa again. tree →
• Speak clearly into the handset. tree →

Note

Compound: hand + set. More technical than «phone»; children usually say «phone» or «mobile».