shorthand

[ shawrt-hand ]
/ ˈʃɔrtˌhænd /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR shorthand ON THESAURUS.COM

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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Question 1 of 10
What does “barren” mean?
a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.
Worn down by dullness, tedious repetition.
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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to shorthand

print, handwriting, script, calligraphy, transcription, chirography, hand, scrawl, scribble, autograph, cuneiform, hieroglyphics, longhand, correspondence, notes, record, copy, stenography, phonography, stenotype

Example sentences from the Web for shorthand

British Dictionary definitions for shorthand

shorthand
/ (ˈʃɔːtˌhænd) /

noun

  1. a system of rapid handwriting employing simple strokes and other symbols to represent words or phrases
  2. (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