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Glite Dictionary
radio dispatch

radio dispatch

4.4
A short message sent by radio to a central office or to the public
  • noun
  • /ˈreɪdioʊ dɪˈspætʃ/
translation icon : despacho de radio
  • I've tried him on the radio dispatch.

Examples

  • Radio dispatch:

    Trojan War (1997)

  • An anonymous caller to radio dispatch reported a man getting into the passenger side of a black Chevy pickup truck and the license number.

  • Radio dispatch with this badge number.

    The Betrayed (2008)

  • Artistic will utilize a radio dispatch system to ensure that the construction contractors receive prompt service if large quantities of particular materials need to be collected at a site.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Paid for by federal and local funds, the new system will use radio dispatch and GPS satellite tracking of vehicles to create efficient service.

  • By morning, the rain we escaped in Yeniseysk has caught up with us, and we huddle under a tarp as we listen to the daily radio dispatch.

Synonyms

broadcast
vsradio dispatch
  • Literature
484 2.9

A radio or television program sent out to the public

is limited to messages sent specifically by radio to an office or the public
dispatch
vsradio dispatch
  • Literature
87 5.9

A quick written message sent from one place to another

is the same idea but specifically transmitted by radio to office or public
radio broadcast
vsradio dispatch
14 2.1

A program sent by radio for people to listen to

is a radio message focused on reporting from a place to office or public
radiogram
vsradio dispatch
  • Archaic
8.3

A message sent by radio to people far away

is a radio message used to report from a location to office or public

How Urgent

Mayday
  • Specialized
70 6.7
alert
297 2.8
radio dispatch
4.4
news report
  • Literature
68 1.1
comm
  • Jargon
7 7.4

Surface Forms

radio dispatch singular
radio dispatches plural

Morphology

radio + dispatch

The meaning 'a message transmitted by radio' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'radio' (a broadcasting medium) with 'dispatch' (an urgent report or message). This medium+message compound follows a common compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Radio dispatch comes from two parts: radio (sending sound without wires) and dispatch (a short, urgent message sent quickly). When police, ambulances, or news teams used radio to send quick reports to their central office, people began to call those reports radio dispatches, so today radio dispatch means 'a message sent by radio'.