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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

The 3x tele lens on the S22 produces some of the best portrait mode shots I’ve ever seen, and the Fold 4 is capable of excellent portraits, too.

From The Verge ● Aug. 17, 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

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

From Washington Times ● Aug. 22, 2018

Written in formal letters in French, in two columns, beginning on the second folio with the words ‘et porceque,’ and on the last with ‘en tele maniere.’

From Chips From A German Workshop. Vol. III. Essays on Literature, Biography, and Antiquities by F. Max (Friedrich Max) Müller

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

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

From Time Magazine Archive

"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

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

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Is it any different than the tele- phone, which connects everyone on the planet?

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

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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