intercom

intercom — noun

1. a small electronic box with a built-in microphone and speaker, used to talk to p

1.nounB1
Definition

a small electronic box with a built-in microphone and speaker, used to talk to people in another room, building, or vehicle without going there

Example

The apartment building has an intercom system so visitors can call from the front gate.

noun modifier: intercom system

Leila spoke into the intercom and asked the delivery driver to leave the package downstairs.

preposition pattern: spoke into the intercom

Common collocations
  • intercom system
  • speak into the intercom
  • answer the intercom
  • buzz someone in through the intercom
  • intercom button
  • on the intercom
Synonyms
  • entry phone

    a specific type of intercom only at a building entrance; more common in British English

  • speakerphone

    a phone feature that works like an intercom but is part of a telephone system

  • two-way radio

    portable and used over longer distances; not fixed like an intercom

Grammar Patterns

the intercom

intercom + noun (intercom system)

Usage Note

An intercom is a fixed device, not a mobile one. It is commonly found at building entrances, in offices, hospitals, and on aircraft. People 'speak into' or 'buzz someone in through' an intercom.

Common Mistakes

I called my friend on the intercom from my mobile phone.
I called my friend on the intercom from the office next door.
An intercom is a fixed in-building system, not a mobile or long-distance device.
Please intercom the front desk.
Please call the front desk on the intercom.
Intercom is a noun, not a verb in standard English.

Word family

  • intercommunicate
    verbC1
  • intercommunication
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An intercom is a fixed audio system installed in a building, office, or vehicle for communication between two or more locations. An entry phone is a specific type of intercom placed at a building entrance to let residents speak to visitors before unlocking the door — it is more limited in scope. A walkie-talkie or two-way radio is a portable handheld device used over longer distances (often outdoors), whereas an intercom is stationary and wired or connected to a local network. A speakerphone is a telephone feature that allows hands-free conversation but relies on the phone network rather than a dedicated in-building system. For example: 'Use the intercom to tell the receptionist you have arrived' vs 'Use the walkie-talkie to contact the security team at the far end of the campus.'

intercom ↗entry phonewalkie-talkietwo-way radiospeakerphone

Common collocations

Nouns

  • intercom system
  • intercom button
  • intercom speaker
  • intercom panel

Phrases

  • buzz someone in on the intercom
  • speak into the intercom
  • answer the intercom
  • announce something over the intercom

Prepositions

  • on the intercom
  • through the intercom
  • over the intercom

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Intercom is a shortened form of 'intercommunication,' made by combining the Latin prefix 'inter-' (meaning between) with 'communication.' The word was first used in the early 1940s as intercom systems became common in offices, ships, and apartment buildings.