What is "phoneword"

n. (context rare English) An alphanumeric word or phrase representing a telephone number, its letters corresponding to those on a telephone keypad.

Phonewords are mnemonic phrases represented as alphanumeric equivalents of a telephone number. In many countries, there exist letters corresponding to each digit on a telephone keypad. The letters corresponding to a particular telephone number can form a word, a partial word, an acronym, abbreviation, or an alphanumeric combination; these are known as phonewords.

Phonewords are the most common vanity numbers, although a few all-numeric vanity phone numbers are used. Toll-free telephone numbers are often branded using phonewords; some firms use easily memorable vanity telephone numbers like 1-800 Contacts, 1-800-Flowers, 1-800-FREE-411 or 1-800-GOT-JUNK? or 1-800-BATTERY? as brands for flagship products or names for entire companies.

Local numbers are also occasionally used, such as +1-514-AUTOBUS or STM-INFO to reach the Société de transport de Montréal, but are subject to the constraint that the first few digits are tied to a geographic location - potentially limiting the available choices based on which telephone exchanges serve a local area.