What does telephone operator mean?

Definitions for telephone operator
tele·phone op·er·a·tor

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word telephone operator.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. telephone operator, telephonist, switchboard operatornoun

    someone who helps callers get the person they are calling

Wiktionary

  1. telephone operatornoun

    a person who operates a telephone switchboard

  2. telephone operatornoun

    a person who provides assistance in establishing a connection, or who provides information or takes messages via the telephone

ChatGPT

  1. telephone operator

    A telephone operator is a professional who facilitates communication by connecting, monitoring, and troubleshooting calls via a switchboard or multiline telephone system. They often provide information, answer queries, support emergency services, and may handle additional services like voicemail and call forwarding. In the past, they played a crucial role in manual exchanges but in the modern world, their role focuses more on specialized call-handling functions within organizations.

Wikidata

  1. Telephone operator

    In the early days of telephony, through roughly the 1960s, companies used manual telephone switchboards and switchboard operators connected each call by inserting a pair of phone plugs into the appropriate jacks. Each pair of plugs was part of a cord circuit with a switch associated that let the operator participate in the call. Each jack had a light above it that lit when the telephone receiver was lifted. Lines from the central office were usually arranged along the bottom row. Before the advent of operator distance dialing and customer Direct Dial calling, switchboard operators would work with their counterparts in the distant central office to complete long distance calls. With the development of computerized telephone dialing systems, many telephone calls which previously required a live operator can be placed automatically by the calling party without additional human intervention. Before the advent of automatic exchanges, an operator's assistance was required for anything other than calling telephones across a shared party line. Callers spoke to an operator at a Central Office who then connected a cord to the proper circuit in order to complete the call. Being in complete control of the call, the operator was in a position to listen to private conversations. Automatic, or Dial systems were developed in the 1920s to reduce labor costs as usage increased, and to ensure privacy to the customer. As phone systems became more sophisticated, less direct intervention by the telephone operator was necessary to complete calls.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce telephone operator?

How to say telephone operator in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of telephone operator in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of telephone operator in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1


Translations for telephone operator

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for telephone operator »

Translation

Find a translation for the telephone operator definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"telephone operator." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/telephone+operator>.

Discuss these telephone operator definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for telephone operator? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    an exorbitant or unlawful rate of interest
    A conveyance
    B reciprocal
    C nitrile
    D vigorish

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for telephone operator: