redial
ree-DY-uhl
/ˌriːˈdaɪəl/
To dial a telephone number again, typically by pressing a dedicated automatic button.
Implies repeating a phone call immediately or after a busy signal.
The story behind the word. Formed by adding the Latin prefix 're-' (again) to 'dial'. With the advent of electronic keypad telephones in the 1970s, microprocessors added memory buffers capable of storing the last dialed digits, spawning the 'redial' feature key.
Word relationships
- re-call: Recall can mean remembering something or calling back, whereas redial specifically means entering the phone digits again.
- disconnect: Disconnect ends the link, whereas redial attempts to re-establish a dropped or busy telephone link.
Commonly confused with
- dial: Dial is entering any number; redial specifically targets the most recently placed call number.
Word family
- redialing (noun): The act of dialing a phone number again.
Collocations
- auto redial
- press redial
- hit redial
- redial button
Example sentences
- "When the line was busy, she hit redial until she finally got through to customer support." Customer service call
Memory hook
RE (again) + DIAL (enter digits) = call the last number over again. Dial again with one press.
When not to use
Do not use when calling a completely new number for the first time.
Fun facts
- Automatic redialing features sparked controversy in the 1980s because they flooded busy radio contest phone lines.
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