shorthand

[ shawrt-hand ]

/ ˈʃɔrtˌhænd /

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noun

a method of rapid handwriting using simple strokes, abbreviations, or symbols that designate letters, words, or phrases (distinguished from longhand).

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

adjective

using or able to use shorthand.

written in shorthand.

of or relating to shorthand.

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Origin of shorthand

First recorded in 1630–40; short + hand

Words nearby shorthand

shortgrass, short gyrus of insula, shorthair, shorthaired, short hairs, shorthand, short-handed, shorthand typist, short haul, shorthead, shorthold tenancy

How to use shorthand in a sentence

Hugh Newell Jacobsen’s work could be difficult to characterize and often left critics floundering for shorthand descriptions.
Hugh Newell Jacobsen, award-winning modernist architect, dies at 91|Kathy Orton|March 4, 2021|Washington Post
Since then, GameStop has become shorthand for short investors getting “squeezed” as they scramble to cover their losses.
Even after GameStop, Tesla remains the most shorted stock in the world|Michael J. Coren|March 2, 2021|Quartz
Users celebrated their “tendies,” a shorthand for chicken tenders that meant profits.
The GameStop stock craze is about a populist uprising against Wall Street. But it’s more complicated than that.|David J. Lynch|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
So employers might consider the idea of hiring immigrants as shorthand for hiring people who’ve worked outside traditional systems to advance, who’ve grappled with trauma or uncertainty, who’ve seen some life.
Why an immigrant mindset is such a valuable asset during COVID|Mitra Kalita|December 2, 2020|Fortune

They should only be used as a shorthand for personnel, not necessarily for a formation.
In modern defensive fronts, the names have been changed|Richard Johnson|November 23, 2020|Washington Post
She said Wright, whom the girl refers to as the shorthand “J,” also sensed that the heat was on.
The Navy ‘Hero’ Who Pimped an HIV-Positive Teen|M.L. Nestel|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In doing these interviews and talking about her these past seasons, have you developed a shorthand for describing her personality?
How Carrie Preston Became The Good Wife’s Favorite Scene Stealer|Kevin Fallon|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That serves as shorthand for Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Porsche.
Nationalism on Four Wheels|Clive Irving|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Throw in the period setting and “like Mad Men during WWII” shorthand becomes inevitable.
WGN’s ‘Manhattan’ Is Summer’s Best New Show. But Will Anyone Watch?|Kevin Fallon|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The media, forever starved for lazy shorthand, have gone along with the labeling too.
The New Right-Wing Idol: Working Moms|Tim Teeman|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By this new species of shorthand we might have embodied this very article in half a dozen sprightly etchings!
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Is it possible that money orders could be sent to someone just by using initials or some shorthand name?
Warren Commission (10 of 26): Hearings Vol. X (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
He takes the precaution to station a shorthand writer in a concealed part of the room.
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman
It seems strangely like old times to me to be making these jottings in Pitman's shorthand.
In Accordance with the Evidence|Oliver Onions
"I'm needing another shorthand man, and I can afford to pay a good bit more than that," he growled.
The Wreckers|Francis Lynde

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

shorthand

Origin of shorthand

Words nearby shorthand

Words related to shorthand

How to use shorthand in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shorthand