noun
- a concise style of writing that omits unnecessary words, originally used in telegrams to save money
Usage: historical; communication
Examples
- The old telegram read ‘ARRIVING TUESDAY STOP MEET STATION STOP’ in typical telegraphese.
- His brief email was written in telegraphese: ‘Meeting canceled. Reschedule Friday.’
- The reporter’s notes were in telegraphese to capture information quickly.
- Before phones became common, telegraphese helped people communicate cheaply over long distances.
- The military dispatch used telegraphese: ‘Mission complete. All safe. Return base.’
- Her text messages often resembled telegraphese with their extreme brevity.