tele·graph
ˈte-lə-ˌgraf 
1
: an apparatus for communication at a distance by coded signals
especially
: an apparatus, system, or process for communication at a distance by electric transmission over wire
2
: telegram
telegraphed; telegraphing; telegraphs
1
a
: to send or communicate by or as if by telegraph
b
: to send a telegram to
c
: to send by means of a telegraphic order
2
: to make known by signs especially unknowingly and in advance
Examples of telegraph in a Sentence
Noun
I sent the message by telegraph.
Verb
He telegraphed a message to her.
Please telegraph when you get there.
Please telegraph me when you get there.
The look on her face telegraphed bad news.
He lost the boxing match because he was telegraphing his punches.
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomas Rid, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2013
The photocells converted that light to an electric current and transported it via telegraph lines to flip a switch that illuminated Chicago.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024
Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
The filing was not telegraphed to investors beforehand and came as a surprise to traders not expecting it on Election Day, the very day the former president and Trump Media majority owner squares off against Vice President Kamala Harris.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for telegraph 
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Noun
During postal and railway strikes in France in 1909 and 1910, for instance, saboteurs cut signal wires and tore down telegraph posts.
—Thomas Rid, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2013
The photocells converted that light to an electric current and transported it via telegraph lines to flip a switch that illuminated Chicago.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024
Verb
The 1995 remake of Miracle on 34th Street hits all the same notes as the 1947 original but is bigger, broader, and more obviously telegraphed.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
The filing was not telegraphed to investors beforehand and came as a surprise to traders not expecting it on Election Day, the very day the former president and Trump Media majority owner squares off against Vice President Kamala Harris.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for telegraph
Articles Related to telegraph
Dictionary Entries Near telegraph
Cite this Entry
“Telegraph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telegraph. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
telegraph
1 of 2 noun
tele·graph
ˈtel-ə-ˌgraf
: an electric device or system for sending messages by a code over wires
telegraphic
adjective
ˌtel-ə-ˈgraf-ik
telegraphically
adverb
-ˈgraf-i-k(ə-)lē
telegraph
2 of 2 verb1
: to send by or as if by telegraph
telegraphed a message
2
: to send a telegram to
telegraphed home for money
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