shorthand

[shawrt-hand]

noun

1. a method of rapid handwriting using simple strokes, abbreviations, or symbols that designate letters, words, or phrases (longhand ).

2. a simplified or makeshift manner or system of communication.

   We spoke in a kind of pidgin shorthand to overcome the language barrier.

adjective

1. using or able to use shorthand.

2. written in shorthand.

3. of or relating to shorthand.

shorthand

/ ˈʃɔːtˌhænd /

noun

1. 1. a system of rapid handwriting employing simple strokes and other symbols to represent words or phrases

   2. ( as modifier )

      a shorthand typist

Word History and Origins

Origin of shorthand¹

First recorded in 1630–40; short + hand

Example Sentences

Timing and temperature got their own shorthand with “BTBRTS” — Bring to Boil, Reduce to Simmer.

From Salon

The fabric has long been shorthand for rugged individualism and the everyday workwear mythos of the American frontier — in other words, a different, portable performance of Americana.

From Salon

Since the start of the war it has become shorthand for a series of intractable and maximalist demands that Putin say stand in the way of a ceasefire.

From BBC

"The Scots-Irish becomes a kind of shorthand for a lot of the things that we're seeing from the kind of cultural perspectives of the current administration."

From BBC

Still, it was his passion for female protagonists who were “reliable in a world of lying men” that also fueled his output, if only partly dealt with in Stewart’s shorthand approach.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• calligraphy 
• handwriting 
• print 
• script