cablegram

1 8.7

A message sent by telegraph across the sea to another country

noun
/ˈkeɪblˌɡræm/

Archaic

: cablegrama

I hate to leave, but it's 10:00 and I have to send those cablegrams.

Examples

Uh, a cablegram for Mrs. Cheney, Milord.

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937)
This came from the decoding room, a cablegram from the War Department.

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
I say I have a cablegram from America.

The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944)
Well, I got a cablegram for him.

Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Steve, I got a cablegram for you.

The Mummy's Hand (1940)
- Well, send him a cablegram.

The Wind and the Lion (1975)
I must send cablegram... to Scotland Yard.

Black Magic (1944)
Have cablegram arrived for me from Scotland Yard?

Black Magic (1944)
I have thus fulfilled the requirements in your cablegram.

Fiction book (1993)
I received a cablegram from my aunt who lives abroad.

Synonyms

cable

vscablegram

Archaic

44 5.9

A message sent over a telegraph line to a distant place

is sent specifically through undersea wires between countries

overseas telegram

vscablegram

Archaic

4.9

A short message sent quickly to someone in another country

is sent specifically through undersea wires between countries

Surface Forms

cablegram singular

cablegrams plural

Morphology

cablegram = cable (semi-transparent) = cable + gram

Meaning is the compound 'cable' + '-gram' (message), which is conceptually clear, but '-gram' is a bound combining form rather than a standalone word so learners may not recognise it immediately.

Etymology

Cablegram combines cable (a strong undersea 'wire') and gram (the same ending as in telegram, meaning a short 'written message'). So a cablegram is a quick 'message' sent by cable to another country, which is why it was used for fast overseas news.