1. Plural of picturephone; telecommunications devices that transmit both audio and video, allowing users to see and hear each other during a call.
Usage: Often used in historical or futuristic contexts; the term emerged in the mid-20th century as a vision of future communication technology.; Now largely superseded by modern video calling applications and smartphones with video capabilities.

Examples

• In the 1960s, picturephones were imagined as the future of long-distance communication.
• The World's Fair showcased early prototypes of picturephones to demonstrate advanced technology.
• Science fiction writers frequently featured picturephones in their visions of tomorrow's world.
• Before smartphones, picturephones remained mostly experimental and impractical for everyday use.
• Modern video calls on smartphones have essentially realized the dream of picturephones from decades ago.