shorthand

[shawrt-hand]

See more 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.

Origin of shorthand

First recorded in 1630–40; short + hand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for shorthand

Contemporary Examples

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
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
That serves as shorthand for Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Porsche.
Nationalism on Four Wheels
Clive Irving
October 18, 2014
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
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

Historical Examples

Closely looked at, all novel-writing is a sort of shorthand.
A Writer's Recollections (In Two Volumes), Volume II
Mrs. Humphry Ward
He could read in my face that I was guilty, and he demanded my shorthand note-book.
The Crevice
William John Burns and Isabel Ostrander
But you don't suppose I took notes in shorthand of what we said to each other, do you?
Barrington
Charles James Lever
The youth was serious, industrious, and trustworthy, and in shorthand incomparable.
A Great Man
Arnold Bennett
Instead of going into logarithms, Henry went into shorthand.
A Great Man
Arnold Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for shorthand

shorthand

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

Word Origin and History for shorthand

n.

method of rapid writing, 1636, from short (adj.) in the "rapid" sense + hand (n.) "handwriting." Short-handed "having too few 'hands' " is from 1794; the ice hockey sense is recorded from 1939.

shorthand

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}shorthand

Examples from the Web for shorthand

Contemporary Examples

She said Wright, whom the girl refers to as the shorthand “J,” also sensed that the heat was on.

In doing these interviews and talking about her these past seasons, have you developed a shorthand for describing her personality?

That serves as shorthand for Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Porsche.

Throw in the period setting and “like Mad Men during WWII” shorthand becomes inevitable.

The shorthand for that New York was once “the bad old days.”

Historical Examples

Closely looked at, all novel-writing is a sort of shorthand.

He could read in my face that I was guilty, and he demanded my shorthand note-book.

But you don't suppose I took notes in shorthand of what we said to each other, do you?

The youth was serious, industrious, and trustworthy, and in shorthand incomparable.

Instead of going into logarithms, Henry went into shorthand.

shorthand

Word Origin and History for shorthand

n.

Origin of shorthand