telegraph
gb/tˈɛləɡɹˌæf/ us/tˈɛləɡɹˌæf/
B2
English
~ 5900
elárul, távíró, távirat, sürgöny, táviratban küld, megtáviratoz
VERB
B2
1
elárul
B1
Usage pattern:
to telegraph [intention/plan/move]
The coach warned the boxer not to telegraph his punches before throwing them.
Az edző figyelmeztette a bokszolót, hogy ne árulja el előre, milyen ütésre készül.
She practically telegraphed her decision by praising only one candidate in the meeting.
Azzal, hogy a megbeszélésen csak az egyik jelöltet dicsérte, szinte elárulta a döntését.
If you stare at the corner, you’ll telegraph where you’re going to pass the ball.
The company telegraphed its strategy months in advance through a series of small policy changes.
He tried not to telegraph his disappointment when he heard the news.
Learner examples
Do not telegraph your next move in the game.
Ne áruld el a következő lépésedet a játékban.
Her face telegraphed her anger before she spoke.
Az arca már azelőtt elárulta a dühét, hogy megszólalt volna.
The president telegraphed a big change in his speech.
He telegraphed his plan by asking very direct questions.
The team did not want to telegraph their strategy to their rivals.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this verb always involves old communication technology. In modern English it is often used figuratively, especially in sports or business, to mean 'make your plan obvious.' Also, do not say *'telegraph about your plans'*; instead say 'telegraph your plans' or 'telegraph what you plan to do.'
Meaning
make intentions or plans obvious
Collocations
telegraph his intentions
|telegraph your next move
|telegraph a pass
|telegraph their plans
|telegraph your punches
Synonyms
signal (Suggests giving a clear sign on purpose; 'telegraph' often implies you do it without meaning to.)
|
give away (More informal and emotional; 'telegraph' sounds slightly more careful or analytical.)
Antonyms
conceal (Focuses on hiding plans or feelings so that others cannot guess them.)
Themes
communication
|social
|sports
Definition
To show clearly what you will do or how you feel, often without wanting to, so other people can guess it.
To make your future action, plan, or feelings obvious to others, often without meaning to, so they can easily guess what you will do.
NOUN
B2
2
távíró
B1
Usage pattern:
send [a message] by telegraph
Before the telephone, the telegraph connected cities across the country.
A telefon előtt a távíró kötötte össze az ország városait.
News of the victory arrived by telegraph the same day.
A győzelem híre még aznap távírón érkezett meg.
The expansion of the telegraph transformed business and politics in the nineteenth century.
Railway companies relied on the telegraph to manage train movements safely.
A network of telegraph wires stretched from the port to the inland towns.
Learner examples
People once used the telegraph to send long messages.
Az emberek valaha távíróval küldtek hosszabb üzeneteket.
The telegraph was very important before phones and email.
A távíró nagyon fontos volt a telefon és az e-mail előtt.
Messages sent by telegraph moved faster than letters.
They built telegraph lines between the two cities.
The story takes place when the telegraph was new.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'telegraph' (the system or technology) with 'telegram' (a single message). You send a telegram by telegraph. Do not say *'I sent a telegraph'* when you mean 'I sent a telegram,' unless you are clearly talking about the historical system and not just one message.
Meaning
old electrical long‑distance message system
Collocations
send by telegraph
|telegraph office
|electric telegraph
|railway telegraph system
|telegraph lines
|telegraph wires
Synonyms
telegram system (More explicit; clearly refers to the service and technology for sending telegrams.)
Antonyms
telephone (A later technology that carries real-time voice instead of coded written messages.)
Themes
technology
|history
|communication
Definition
An old way to send written messages far away using electric signals and wires.
An old communication system that sent written messages over long distances by using electrical signals along wires, decoded at the other end.
NOUN
C1
ARCHAIC
3
Usage pattern:
receive [a] telegraph [from someone]
A telegraph arrived from London late that night.
Késő este távirat érkezett Londonból.
They sent a brief telegraph to announce the safe birth of their son.
Rövid táviratot küldtek, hogy hírül adják: fiuk egészségesen megszületett.
In the novel, a mysterious telegraph changes the hero’s plans.
The captain received a telegraph ordering the ship to return to port.
She kept the faded telegraph folded inside her diary for decades.
Learner examples
He got a telegraph with bad news.
Rossz hírt tartalmazó táviratot kapott.
They sent a telegraph to tell the family they were safe.
Táviratot küldtek, hogy tudassák a családdal: biztonságban vannak.
In old movies, a man brings a telegraph to the door.
The telegraph said, “WELCOME HOME”.
She cried when she read the telegraph from the army.
Common mistake:
Modern English normally uses 'telegram' rather than 'telegraph' for the message. Learners may overuse this sense in modern contexts. For current or general explanations, prefer 'telegram' for the message and 'telegraph' for the system.
Meaning
a message sent by telegraph
Collocations
receive a telegraph
|an urgent telegraph
|a short telegraph
|a coded telegraph
|a wedding telegraph
Synonyms
telegram (The standard, more common word for a single telegraph message.)
Antonyms
letter (A written message sent physically by post, taking much longer to arrive.)
Themes
communication
|history
|technology
Definition
A written message that people in the past sent using the telegraph system.
A written message that is sent using the telegraph system; a telegram.
VERB
C1
4
megtáviratoz
B2
Usage pattern:
to telegraph [a message] [to someone]
They agreed to telegraph the final results to the capital.
Abban állapodtak meg, hogy a végleges eredményeket táviratban küldik el a fővárosba.
The commander telegraphed new orders to the front line.
A parancsnok táviratban küldte el az új parancsokat a frontvonalra.
Merchants would telegraph prices between distant markets.
He promised to telegraph as soon as the ship reached New York.
The office telegraphed the news of the accident to the family.
Learner examples
In the story, he telegraphs a message to his wife.
A történetben táviratban küld üzenetet a feleségének.
People used to telegraph important news.
Régen az emberek táviratban küldték el a fontos híreket.
The company would telegraph prices to other cities.
She said she would telegraph when she arrived.
They telegraphed the winner’s name to the newspaper.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this verb for modern communication, for example *'I telegraphed him yesterday'* instead of 'I texted him' or 'I emailed him.' In modern life, the telegraph is almost never used; this verb appears mainly in historical or literary contexts.
Meaning
send a message via telegraph
Collocations
telegraph the news
|telegraph ahead
|telegraph the results
|telegraph a message
|telegraph orders
Synonyms
wire (Older, informal term used especially in American English, e.g. 'wire me the details.')
Antonyms
phone (To call someone by telephone instead of sending a written telegraph message.)
Themes
communication
|history
|technology
Definition
To send a written message in the old way using the telegraph system.
To send a written message using the telegraph system, transmitting it as electrical signals along wires.
Grammar
Dictionary form
telegraph
IPA
GB/tˈɛləɡɹˌæf/
US/tˈɛləɡɹˌæf/
Syllables & stress
tele - graph (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tele)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: telegraph
- Plural: telegraph, telegraphs
Verb
- Base: telegraph
- 3rd Person Singular: telegraphs
- Present Participle: telegraphing
- Past: telegraphed
Word family
Forms
telegraphs
noun
telegraphing
verb
telegraphed
verb
Core family
telegram
noun B2
telegraphic
adjective
Related words
telegraphy
noun
telegrapher
noun
Expressions
telegraph one's punches
1/tˈɛləɡɹˌæf wˈʌnz pˈʌnt͡ʃɪz/
idiom
make a planned move obvious early
To make it clear what you are going to do before you do it, especially in a fight, sport, or competition, so the other side can easily react.
Examples
- The fighter keeps telegraphing his punches, so his opponent can dodge them easily.
- In negotiations, you should not telegraph your punches by revealing your bottom line too soon.
- The team telegraphed their punches by talking openly about their draft plans on social media.