Standard Lemma guide

tel

name · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: T EH1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A nickname for the given name Terry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 2021, Luke Hindmarsh, 3:33 AM "Tel, you alright, mate? It's Jack. Jack, Eddie's brother." He stepped forward and round the chair, one hand reaching towards Terry to reassure him.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Abbreviation of telephone number.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Abbreviation of telegraph.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Abbreviation of telegram.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Alternative form of tell (“hill or mound”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

tetraethyllead (or tetraethyl lead, tetra-ethyl lead); a gasoline additive to boost octane rating

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, automotive, aviation, business, chemistry, engineering, natural-sciences, organic-chemistry, physical-sciences, transport, vehicles

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A label for telephone number.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Initialism of transporter erector launcher.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism

Topics: aerospace, astronautics, business, engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: puh. — abbreviation of telephone number
  • Georgian: ტელ (ṭel) — abbreviation of telephone number
  • Indonesian: telp. — abbreviation of telephone number
  • Japanese: tel (teru) — abbreviation of telephone number
  • Japanese: 電番 (denban) — abbreviation of telephone number
  • Lao: ໂທ (thō) — abbreviation of telephone number
  • Mongolian: утас (utas) — abbreviation of telephone number