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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Department of Public Safety said teletype notifications — digital inter-agency notices — went out to metro-area law enforcement agencies: one from the Brooklyn Park Police Department at 4:25 a.m. and another from the State Patrol at 4:40 a.m. Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 10 July 2025 In those days, computers took up entire rooms, and users accessed them through teletype terminals—electric typewriters hooked up to either a serial cable or a modem and a phone line. ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025 Additionally, as Thompson entered the bank, the security features at the entry door confirmed her height as almost 6 feet tall, which matched her probation teletype, according to the warrant affidavit. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2025 In a yearbook photo from Seattle's Lakeside School, Paul Allen [L] and Bill Gates [R] work on a teletype machine during the 1969-1970 school year. Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for teletype

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of teletype was in 1890

Cite this Entry

“Teletype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teletype. Accessed 27 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

Teletype

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