Telegram

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈtɛləˌɡɹæm/

Definitions

1. A brief message transmitted electrically through wires and delivered in printed or written form
2. A written communication sent by wire which conveys information briefly and is usually delivered in physical form to the recipient
3. A concise message transmitted via telegraph systems that is typically printed and handed over to the intended receiver

Etymology: The earliest known use of "telegram" in print appeared in the Albany Evening Journal on 6 April 1852, in a short item where a correspondent asked the paper to introduce the word. Before that, people spoke of a "telegraphic dispatch" or "telegraphic communication," and the newspaper's friend wanted something shorter for the same idea. The word is a plain coinage built from "tele-," from Greek "tēle," meaning "far off," and "-gram," from Greek "gramma," meaning "something written" or "letter." Put together, the parts describe a writing sent from a distance, which fits a message that traveled over electric wires and arrived on paper.

Synonyms: cable, message, dispatch, note, communication

Antonyms: silence, muteness, inaction, stillness, quiet