telegraph
telegraph — noun
1. A system, mainly used from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, that sends written me
A system, mainly used from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, that sends written messages as electrical pulses travelling along wires, together with the machines that transmit and receive them.
Bilal sent a telegraph to warn the mine manager about the flood before the storm.
Darius learned to use a telegraph at the railway station where he worked.
collocation: use / operate a telegraph
Victory news was sent by telegraph from the front line to the capital within hours.
Before the telegraph, in 1847, Élise's letter from Paris took six weeks to reach her cousin in New York.
The museum's old telegraph still has the metal key operators pressed to send Morse code.
- telegram
refers to the message itself, not the system or device
用法筆記
When talking about the communication system as a historical technology, the phrase 'the telegraph' (uncountable) is most common. The countable form 'a telegraph' refers to the physical machine.
常見錯誤
telegraph — verb
1. To communicate with someone or transmit news, instructions, or other information
To communicate with someone or transmit news, instructions, or other information by sending electrical signals through a telegraph wire.
The general telegraphed his orders to the troops stationed at the border.
grammar: telegraph + direct object (orders) to + person
Nila telegraphed her family that she had arrived safely in Sydney.
grammar: telegraph + person + that-clause
Journalists in the 1860s often telegraphed their stories from one city to another.
The shipping company telegraphed the harbour master asking for permission to dock early.
When her father fell ill, Maeve telegraphed her brother and asked him to come home.
- cable
more common in modern historical writing; implies an undersea cable
- wire
informal synonym often used in American English
- send a telegram
the natural phrasal alternative; the simple verb is rarer in modern use
文法句型
telegraph + direct object (message/news/instructions)
telegraph + indirect object + that-clause
用法筆記
This sense is almost exclusively used when talking about historical periods or historical fiction. In modern contexts, 'send a telegram' or 'cabled' is more natural than 'telegraphed' as a verb.
常見錯誤
2. To unintentionally reveal what you are about to do through your movements or beh
To unintentionally reveal what you are about to do through your movements or behaviour — for example, a boxer who drops a shoulder before throwing a punch, or a player who looks towards where they will pass the ball.
The young boxer kept telegraphing his punches by pulling back his right arm first.
common in sports: telegraph + punch
A good poker player avoids telegraphing excitement when they receive strong cards.
Rodrigo's eyes telegraphed his plan before he had a chance to speak about it.
Tennis coaches train players to avoid telegraphing where they will hit the ball.
Heloísa telegraphed her intention to shoot by glancing at the goal too long.
文法句型
telegraph + direct object (punch / move / intention / plan)
用法筆記
This figurative sense is most common in sports commentary (boxing, tennis, basketball) and in discussions of body language and deception. It carries the idea that the signal is unintentional or careless.