autodialer
|ɔː-tə-daɪ-lər|
🇺🇸
/ˈɔːtəˌdaɪlər/
🇬🇧
/ˈɔːtəˌdaɪlə/
self-dialing device
Etymology
'autodialer' is a modern compound formed from the prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self') plus 'dial' and the agentive suffix '-er' indicating an instrument or person that performs an action.
'autodialer' developed in the 20th century as telephone technology advanced; it derives from the verb 'autodial' (to dial automatically), itself formed from 'auto-' + 'dial' (with 'dial' originally referring to devices for indicating or selecting numbers, the word 'dial' having links to earlier terms for marking or indicating time/positions).
Initially coined to refer specifically to electromechanical devices that dialed numbers automatically; the meaning broadened to include electronic and software-based systems that perform the same function.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a device or piece of equipment that automatically dials telephone numbers.
The company installed an autodialer to call customers about appointment reminders.
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Noun 2
software or a telephony system that automatically dials many numbers (often used for telemarketing, notifications, or robocalls), sometimes with features like predictive dialing or prerecorded messages.
Because of complaints about robocalls, regulators reviewed how the company used its autodialer software.
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Last updated: 2025/11/25 01:28