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  • tele
    tele
    noun
  • tele-
    tele-
    a combining form meaning “distant,” especially “transmission over a distance,” used in the formation of compound words.
  • tele.
    tele.
    abbreviation
    television.
  • tele–
    tele–
    A prefix that means “at a distance,” as in telemetry.

tele

1 American  
[tel-ee] / ˈtɛl i /
Or telly

noun

British Informal.
  1. television.


tele- 2 American  
  1. a combining form meaning “distant,” especially “transmission over a distance,” used in the formation of compound words.

    telegraph.


tele- 3 American  
  1. a combining form meaning “end,” “complete,” used in the formation of compound words.

    telestich.


tele. 4 American  

abbreviation

  1. television.


tele- British  

combining form

  1. at or over a distance; distant

    telescope

    telegony

    telekinesis

    telemeter

  2. television

    telecast

  3. by means of or via telephone or television

"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

tele– Scientific  
  1. A prefix that means “at a distance,” as in telemetry.


Etymology

Origin of tele1

By shortening

Origin of tele-2

Combining form representing Greek têle far, akin to télos end ( see tele- 2)

Origin of tele-3

Combining form representing Greek télos end, and téleios perfected; akin to teleîn to fulfill

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

According to the code, the camera setup is as follows: back of the phone: IMX787 main, S5K3J1 tele, IMX386 ultrawide.

From The Verge Sep. 10, 2022

"I didn't want to stay at home. The news was on the tele as well so I just wanted to get away from it all."

From BBC Jul. 15, 2022

But the tele lens now features optical image stabilization.

From The Verge Aug. 11, 2021

Another law requires Medicaid reimbursement for long-distance tele health treatment.

From Washington Times Aug. 22, 2018

The month was also called Aitu tele, great god, from the principal worship of the month.

From Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago And Long Before by Turner, George

Fotiva's influence over Lenin and Tchitcherin's weakness for lost tele- grams.

From Time Magazine Archive

The cluster was first observed by the late Dr. E. E. Barnard, but his tele- scope was too weak to resolve it into stars.

From Time Magazine Archive

“And squashed by a dresser,” said Horace, scowling at the tele- kinetic girl.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

"Percival Wemys Madison, The Vicarage, Harcourt St. Anthony, Hants, telephone, telephone, tele-" As if this information was rooted far down in the springs of sorrow, the littlun wept.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

If the chip passes a few simple tests, it's put into a calculator or a clock or a tele- phone or an airplane.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn

Rylan Clark-Neal tweeted: "Devastated. The nicest and kindest woman in tele. Will miss her so much. She'll always be the only woman for me."

From BBC Apr. 1, 2016

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