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walkie-talkie

/ˌˈwɔki ˌtɔki/
/ˈwɔkitɔki/
IPA guide

Other forms: walkie-talkies

A walkie-talkie is a wireless, handheld transceiver that allows two-way communication using radio signals. Walkie-talkies are perfect for communicating in remote places where there's no cellphone signal.

With a pair of walkie-talkies, you and a friend can hold a conversation, both sending and receiving signals over a radio channel. The earliest walkie-talkies were used by the military, starting in the 1930s. Designed to be portable and lightweight, the first version was called a "handy-talkie," with the original official walkie-talkie put to wide use by the U.S. during World War II. These simple, quick, two-way communication devices are still popular today on work crews and in wilderness areas far from cell towers. They can also be fun for kids to play with.

Definitions of walkie-talkie
  1. noun
    small portable radio link (receiver and transmitter)
    synonyms: walky-talky
    see moresee less
    type of:
    link, radio link
    a two-way radio communication system (usually microwave); part of a more extensive telecommunication network
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