Telpher
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 An electric-run cable car used for transportation, along overhead wires.
- 2 one of the conveyances (or cars) in a telpherage wordnet
- 3 A system of transportation using telphers.
"In 1898, the ever-innovative Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway installed an overhead delivery system known as a 'telpher'. […] But the telpher at Manchester Victoria wasn't part of a crane. It was part of an extraordinary dual-railed overhead line, a little like a suspended monorail, with individually manned units that trundled high above the heads of passengers and staff, carrying goods from the Parcels Office to each platform."
- 1 To transport with a telpher. transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"In 1898, the ever-innovative Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway installed an overhead delivery system known as a 'telpher'. […] But the telpher at Manchester Victoria wasn't part of a crane. It was part of an extraordinary dual-railed overhead line, a little like a suspended monorail, with individually manned units that trundled high above the heads of passengers and staff, carrying goods from the Parcels Office to each platform."
Etymology
From tele- + Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō).
Related phrases
More for "telpher"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.