teletype

T1E1L1E1T1Y4P3E1
US, UK/ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/

noun

A telegraph that automatically prints transmitted messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.

Similar
printgel
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounteletype (plural teletypes)

plural teletypes

  1. historicalA telegraph that automatically prints transmitted messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.

    Synonyms: p, r, i, n, t, g, e, l

  2. historicalA telegram produced by this device.

    Synonyms: telegram, telotype, telex

  3. historicalAn early input/output device for mainframe computers, resembling a typewriter.

    Synonyms: TTY

verbteletype (third-person singular simple present teletypes, present participle teletyping, simple past and past participle teletyped)

present singular third person teletypes · participle present teletyping · participle past teletyped · past teletyped

  1. ambitransitiveTo use a teletype.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA telegraph that automatically prints transmitted messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.

Similar
printgelahteleprinterteletyperteletypewritertelecryptographtelotypeoywxc

nounA telegram produced by this device.

Similar
telegramtelotypetelex

nounAn early input/output device for mainframe computers, resembling a typewriter.

Similar
TTY
Also see
printing telegraphtelephone typewriterteleprinterteletypewritertelotype

Origin

From tele- (“far, distant, telegraph”) + type (“text, typewriter”), q.v. In the United States, chiefly understood as a genericization of the Morkrum or Teletype Corporation's branded teletype machines. Doublet of telotype.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُبْرِقَةٌ كَاتِبَة
  • مُبْرِقَةٌ كَاتِبَة (mubriqatun kātiba)automatically translated electric telegraph
Basque teletipo
  • teletipoautomatically translated electric telegraph
Bengali টেলিটাইপ
  • টেলিটাইপ (ṭeliṭaip)automatically translated electric telegraph
Bulgarian телета́йп, телепри́нтер
  • телета́йп (teletájp)automatically translated electric telegraph
  • телепри́нтер (teleprínter)automatically translated electric telegraph
Chinese Mandarin 電傳打字機 /电传打字机, 電傳 /电传
  • 電傳打字機 /电传打字机 (diànchuán-dǎzìjī)automatically translated electric telegraph
  • 電傳 /电传 (diànchuán)automatically translated electric telegraph
Czech dálnopis
  • dálnopisautomatically translated electric telegraph
Danish fjernskriver
  • fjernskriverautomatically translated electric telegraph
Dutch teleprinter
  • teleprinterautomatically translated electric telegraph
Esperanto teletajpilo
  • teletajpiloautomatically translated electric telegraph
Estonian teletaip
  • teletaipautomatically translated electric telegraph
Finnish kaukokirjoitin
  • kaukokirjoitinautomatically translated electric telegraph
French télétype, téléscripteur
  • télétypeautomatically translated electric telegraph
  • téléscripteurautomatically translated electric telegraph
  • téléimprimeurautomatically translated electric telegraph
German Fernschreiber
  • Fernschreiberautomatically translated electric telegraph
Greek τηλέτυπο
  • τηλέτυπο (tilétypo)automatically translated electric telegraph
Hebrew טֶלֶפְּרִינְטֶר
  • טֶלֶפְּרִינְטֶר (teleprínter)automatically translated electric telegraph
Hindi टेलिटाइप
  • टेलिटाइप (ṭeliṭāip)automatically translated electric telegraph
Hungarian távgépiró
  • távgépiróautomatically translated electric telegraph
Icelandic fjarritari
  • fjarritariautomatically translated electric telegraph
Indonesian teleprinter, teletip
  • teleprinterautomatically translated electric telegraph
  • teletipautomatically translated electric telegraph
Irish teiliprintéir, teileachló
  • teiliprintéirautomatically translated electric telegraph
  • teileachlóautomatically translated electric telegraph
Italian telescrivente
  • telescriventeautomatically translated electric telegraph
Japanese テレタイプ, テレタイプライター
  • テレタイプ (teretaipu)automatically translated electric telegraph
  • テレタイプライター (teretaipuraitā)automatically translated electric telegraph
Korean 텔레타이프, 전신타자기
  • 텔레타이프 (telletaipeu)automatically translated electric telegraph
  • 전신타자기 (jeonsintajagi)automatically translated electric telegraph
Latvian teletaips
  • teletaipsautomatically translated electric telegraph
Lithuanian teletaipas
  • teletaipasautomatically translated electric telegraph
Malay teletaip
  • teletaipautomatically translated electric telegraph
Norwegian Bokmål fjernskriver
  • fjernskriverautomatically translated electric telegraph
Polish dalekopis
  • dalekopisautomatically translated electric telegraph
Portuguese teletipo
  • teletipoautomatically translated electric telegraph
Romanian teleimprimator, teletip
  • teleimprimatorautomatically translated electric telegraph
  • teletipautomatically translated electric telegraph
Russian телета́йп, дальнопи́сец
  • телета́йп (teletájp)automatically translated electric telegraph
  • дальнопи́сец (dalʹnopísec)automatically translated electric telegraph
Slovak ďalekopis
  • ďalekopisautomatically translated electric telegraph
Spanish teletipo
  • teletipoautomatically translated electric telegraph
Swedish teleprinter, fjärrskrivmaskin
  • teleprinterautomatically translated electric telegraph
  • fjärrskrivmaskinautomatically translated electric telegraph
Thai โทรพิมพ์
  • โทรพิมพ์ (too-rá-pim)automatically translated electric telegraph
Turkish teleprinter
  • teleprinterautomatically translated electric telegraph
Ukrainian телета́йп
  • телета́йп (teletájp)automatically translated electric telegraph
Urdu ٹیلی ٹائِپ
  • ٹیلی ٹائِپ (ṭelī ṭāip)automatically translated electric telegraph
Vietnamese tê-lê-tip, têlêtip
  • tê-lê-tipautomatically translated electric telegraph
  • têlêtipautomatically translated electric telegraph
Cite this entry
APA

teletype. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teletype

MLA

“teletype.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teletype. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “teletype,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teletype.

Source: teletype on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.