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telethon

[ tel-uh-thon ]
/ ˈtɛl əˌθɒn /
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noun

a television broadcast lasting several hours, especially one soliciting support for a charity.

RELATED WORDS

bazaar, fundraiser, radiothon

Nearby words

  1. teletex,
  2. teletext,
  3. teletheater,
  4. teletherapy,
  5. telethermometer,
  6. teletype,
  7. teletypesetter,
  8. teletypewriter,
  9. teletypist,
  10. teleutospore

Origin of telethon

1945–50; tele-1 + -thon
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for telethon

British Dictionary definitions for telethon

telethon

/ (ˈtɛləˌθɒn) /

noun

a lengthy television programme to raise charity funds, etc

Word Origin for telethon

C20: from tele- + marathon
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 telethon

telethon

n.

prolonged TV fundraiser, 1949, from tele(vision) + (mara)thon (see -athon). Milton Berle's 16-hour television cancer fundraiser in April 1949 might have been the first to be so called.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper