Reftel

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A telegram referenced within another message; especially in the context of diplomatic cables. historical

    "Reftel was on my desk when I arrived in Saigon."

Example

More examples

"Reftel was on my desk when I arrived in Saigon."

Etymology

Blend of referenced + telegram.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.