telex

1 of 2

noun

tel·​ex ˈte-ˌleks How to pronounce telex (audio)
1
: a communication service involving teletypewriters connected by wire through automatic exchanges
also : a teletypewriter used in telex
2
: a message sent by telex

telex

2 of 2

verb

telexed; telexing; telexes

transitive verb

1
: to send (something, such as a message) by telex
2
: to communicate with by telex

Examples of telex in a Sentence

Noun The message was sent by telex. We received a telex from New York.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In his own work Mr. Whitman took up such unconventional tools as strobe lights, lasers, telex and fax machines, public access television, radio channels and, eventually, cellphones, the internet and NFTs, along with decidedly nontechnological elements like flames and running water. Randy Kennedy, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024 In the Industrial Age, however, huge swells of productivity and connectivity were unleashed by the machinery of connected data—from pneumatic tubes for paper telegrams to the mid-century telex, the wired telephone infrastructure, and the wireless networks now displacing it. Nicholas De Monchaux, Wired, 1 Dec. 2021 For another work meant to critique the divide between art and the outside world, Haacke set up a telex machine to print live news updates on a seemingly endless paper scroll. Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2022 The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication was founded in 1973 to replace the telex and is now used by over 11,000 financial institutions to send secure messages and payment orders. Charles Riley, CNN, 28 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

teleprinter + exchange

First Known Use

Noun

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of telex was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near telex

Cite this Entry

“Telex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telex. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

telex

1 of 2 noun
tel·​ex ˈtel-ˌeks How to pronounce telex (audio)
1
: a communication service involving teletypewriters connected by wire through automatic exchanges
2
: a message sent by telex

telex

2 of 2 verb
1
: to send (as a message) by telex
2
: to communicate with by telex

More from Merriam-Webster on telex

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!