SHORT LETTER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does short letter mean? 

• SHORT LETTER (noun)
  The noun SHORT LETTER has 1 sense:

1. a short personal letter

  Familiarity information: SHORT LETTER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHORT LETTER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A short personal letter

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

billet; line; note; short letter

Context example:

drop me a line when you get there

Hypernyms ("short letter" is a kind of...):

personal letter (a letter dealing with personal affairs)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "short letter"):

excuse (a note explaining an absence)

 Context examples 

Oh no;—and it is but a short letter too.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

She could not bear such suspense; and hastily seizing a sheet of paper, wrote a short letter to her aunt, to request an explanation of what Lydia had dropt, if it were compatible with the secrecy which had been intended.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

This letter tells us—it is a short letter—written in a hurry, merely to give us notice—it tells us that they are all coming up to town directly, on Mrs. Churchill's account—she has not been well the whole winter, and thinks Enscombe too cold for her—so they are all to move southward without loss of time.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Though Lydia's short letter to Mrs. F. gave them to understand that they were going to Gretna Green, something was dropped by Denny expressing his belief that W. never intended to go there, or to marry Lydia at all, which was repeated to Colonel F., who, instantly taking the alarm, set off from B. intending to trace their route.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)