teletype

noun

tele·​type ˈte-lə-ˌtīp How to pronounce teletype (audio)
1
or less commonly Teletype : a printing device resembling a typewriter that is used to send and receive telephonic signals
formerly a U.S. registered trademark

called also teletypewriter

2
: a message sent by a teletype machine

Examples of teletype in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The teletype machine was meant to allow secure, encrypted communications, but anyone close enough to read its electromagnetic emissions could potentially decipher its secrets. Andy Greenberg, Wired, 21 June 2020 In total, the message will be sent four times: twice in Morse code, twice in radio teletype. Cathy Alter, WIRED, 27 Aug. 2023 There’s also a teletype (TTY) or text telephone number at 1-888-720-7489 and the aforementioned USPS help desk. John Kennedy, Popular Science, 10 May 2023 The interrogator can interact with the subject only through a teletype (today a computer screen). Tony Rothman, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2015 The teletype is among 102 pages of FBI records about Elizabeth that were publicly released late Monday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by NBC News and other media to the agency following the queen’s death on Sept. 8. NBC news, 24 May 2023 The first investigator assigned to the case filed a missing persons teletype, which is a notification to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and the FBI’s National Crime Information Center. Gina Barton, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2023 Goldfinger didn’t know that when he was summoned to the skipper, who had received a Naval teletype from the secretary of the Navy. Menachem Wecker, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2023 Save for that teletype from Capt. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'teletype.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of teletype was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near teletype

Cite this Entry

“Teletype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teletype. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Teletype

trademark
Tele·​type ˈtel-ə-ˌtīp How to pronounce Teletype (audio)
used for a teletypewriter
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