definitions

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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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

shortfall, shortfin corvina, shortgrass, shorthair, shorthaired, shorthand, shorthand typist, shorthead, shorthold tenancy, shorthorn, shortie

Origin of shorthand

First recorded in 1630–40; short + hand
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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