telephone exchange
[/ˈtelɪfoʊn ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/]
nounpl: telephone exchanges
central telefônica
1. A facility or system where telephone lines are connected and routed to establish calls between subscribers
The telephone exchange in downtown managed thousands of calls daily.
A central telefônica do centro gerenciava milhares de chamadas diariamente.
2. The equipment and infrastructure used to switch and route telephone signals
Modern telephone exchanges use digital technology instead of manual switching.
As centrais telefônicas modernas usam tecnologia digital em vez de comutação manual.
3. A geographic area served by a single telephone exchange with a specific dialing code
This city is served by three different telephone exchanges.
Esta cidade é servida por três centrais telefônicas diferentes.
The telephone exchange was a crucial infrastructure element in the 20th century, particularly before automatic dialing systems. In Brazil and the USA, these facilities represented technological progress and were often housed in prominent buildings. The role of telephone operators (mostly women) at these exchanges is a significant part of telecommunications history. Today, the term is largely historical as digital switching has replaced physical exchanges.
Related Idioms & Phrases
go through the exchange - to have a call routed through the telephone exchange
exchange operator - the person who worked at the telephone exchange
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →