shorthand

[ shawrt-hand ]
See synonyms for shorthand on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a method of rapid handwriting using simple strokes, abbreviations, or symbols that designate letters, words, or phrases (distinguished from longhand).

  2. a simplified or makeshift manner or system of communication: We spoke in a kind of pidgin shorthand to overcome the language barrier.

adjective
  1. using or able to use shorthand.

  2. written in shorthand.

  1. of or relating to shorthand.

Origin of shorthand

1
First recorded in 1630–40; short + hand

Words Nearby shorthand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use shorthand in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shorthand

shorthand

/ (ˈʃɔːtˌhænd) /


noun
    • a system of rapid handwriting employing simple strokes and other symbols to represent words or phrases

    • (as modifier): a shorthand typist

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012