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ringtone

/ˈrɪŋˌtoʊn/
IPA guide

Other forms: ringtones

A ringtone is the sound your phone makes when someone calls or texts you. Don't be that jerk in the theater who doesn't silence their ringtone before the movie starts!

The ringtone of an old-fashioned telephone was produced by an actual bell being rung. Although the sounds made by modern phones vary wildly, from beeps and chirps to animal sounds, classical music, and more, they're all still called ringtones. Today, mobile phones offer an almost infinite variety of tones you can choose to alert you that calls or text messages are coming in. You might decide to go old school and pick a ringing bell as your ringtone!

Definitions of ringtone
  1. noun
    the sound of an incoming call on a mobile phone
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