walkie-talkie

noun

walk·​ie-talk·​ie ˌwȯ-kē-ˈtȯ-kē How to pronounce walkie-talkie (audio)
ˈwȯ-kē-ˌtȯ-
: a compact easily transportable battery-operated radio transmitting and receiving set

Examples of walkie-talkie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Jim Manley, the owner of The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana, recently developed an activity called Respite on the Ranch, where staff take guests on horseback to a remote, cell-reception-free spot and leave them with a hammock, a picnic cooler, a blanket, books, and a walkie-talkie. Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024 Authoritative voices were amplified over multiple walkie-talkies. Dodai Stewart, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Don’t bring chairs, balloons, totems, whistles, air horns, pets, chains or walkie-talkies either. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 Almost immediately, one of the vehicles in the convoy got lost, according to messages posted in the Zello walkie-talkie app that the group is using to communicate while on the road. David Gilbert, WIRED, 30 Jan. 2024 In the same vein, since the R1 uses a push-to-talk button—like a walkie-talkie—to trigger the voice command prompt, there's no wake word, so the R1 doesn't have to constantly listen to you the way most popular voice assistants do. Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 9 Jan. 2024 Members often use walkie-talkies while in the forest. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024 In essence, the mitochondria function as cellular walkie-talkies, sending messages throughout the body that influence the survival and life span of the entire organism. Quanta Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024 One basic but effective tool is a jammer, which disrupts communications by sending out powerful signals at the same frequencies used by walkie-talkies or drones to cause so much disturbance that beaming a signal is impossible. Aaron Krolik, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'walkie-talkie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of walkie-talkie was circa 1939

Dictionary Entries Near walkie-talkie

Cite this Entry

“Walkie-talkie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walkie-talkie. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

walkie-talkie

noun
walk·​ie-talk·​ie
ˌwȯ-kē-ˈtȯ-kē
: a small portable radio set for receiving and sending messages

More from Merriam-Webster on walkie-talkie

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