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.

Words nearby shorthand

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

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 shorthand for that New York was once “the bad old days.”
Weren’t Those the Bad Old Days? The Poison of New York City Nostalgia|Michael Moynihan|January 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He consults him about the various letters upon which he needs his advice and makes notations in shorthand on them.
The Book of Business Etiquette|Nella Henney
If shorthand be employed, messages can be transmitted at the rate of over 100 words per minute.
The Romance of Modern Invention|Archibald Williams
These men have stories to say which should be said to shorthand writers.
Through South Africa|Henry M. Stanley
"I wanted the youth of Canterbury to have the shorthand of drawing—I had to find it out myself," Mr. Cooper told me.
The Strand Magazine, Vol. VII, Issue 39, March 1894|Various
Wildly alarmed, I broke into rapid shorthand—the shorthand in which I am writing this now.
In Accordance with the Evidence|Oliver Onions

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

noun

adjective

Content related to shorthand

Words related to shorthand

Words nearby shorthand

Origin of shorthand

Examples from the Web for shorthand

British Dictionary definitions for shorthand

noun