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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web 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 And there was this teletype terminal, which is just a printer and a keyboard, no screen. Christopher Byrd, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2022 Their secrets were accessible only via punch card and teletype terminals. Margaret O'mara, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2018 The device, called a teletype, was essentially a mechanical typewriter that displayed text on a glass screen. Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 10 Oct. 2020 His mother, Carrie (Hibel), a teletype operator, later changed their surname to Lipton. Clay Risen, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2022 See More

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 30 May. 2023.

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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