Pronunciation: /daɪəl ʌp/

Definitions of dial up

noun a method of connecting to the internet using a telephone line

Example Sentences

A1 My grandparents used to connect to the internet with dial up.

A2 Dial up was a common way to access the internet in the 1990s.

B1 The slow speed of dial up made it frustrating to browse the web.

B2 Many people upgraded to broadband from dial up for faster internet speeds.

C1 The nostalgic sound of a dial up modem connecting brings back memories of early internet days.

C2 Despite its limitations, dial up was a groundbreaking technology that revolutionized communication.

Examples of dial up in a Sentence

formal The old computer system required a dial-up connection to access the internet.

informal I remember the days when we had to use dial-up to go online.

slang Dial-up was so slow, it felt like watching paint dry.

figurative His communication skills are like a dial-up connection, slow and outdated.

Grammatical Forms of dial up

past tense

dialed up

plural

dial ups

comparative

more dial up

superlative

most dial up

present tense

dials up

future tense

will dial up

perfect tense

have dialed up

continuous tense

is dialing up

singular

dial up

positive degree

dial up

infinitive

to dial up

gerund

dialing up

participle

dialing up

Origin and Evolution of dial up

First Known Use: 1960 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'dial up' originated from the use of rotary dial telephones to establish a connection to a remote computer or network.
Evolution of the word: Initially used to describe the process of establishing a connection using a rotary dial telephone, 'dial up' later evolved to refer to a method of accessing the internet through a modem that used the same dialing process. With the decline of dial-up internet in favor of broadband connections, the term is now mostly used in a nostalgic or historical context.