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.
Local radio stations broadcast the announcement that Japan had surrendered to the Allied Powers just after 6 p.m. on Aug. 14, 1945, when the first bulletin rattled out of wire service teletype machines in newsrooms across the Twin Cities. Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 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 10 Sep. 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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