communication

com·mu·ni·ca·tion  (k-myn-kshn)

n.

1. The act of communicating; transmission.

2.

a. The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior.

b. Interpersonal rapport.

3. communications (used with a sing. or pl. verb)

a. The art and technique of using words effectively to impart information or ideas.

b. The field of study concerned with the transmission of information by various means, such as print or broadcasting.

c. Any of various professions involved with the transmission of information, such as advertising, broadcasting, or journalism.

4. Something communicated; a message.

5. communications A means of communicating, especially:

a. A system, such as mail, telephone, or television, for sending and receiving messages.

b. A network of routes for sending messages and transporting troops and supplies.

6. communications The technology employed in transmitting messages.

7. Biology The transfer of information from one molecule, cell, or organism to another, as by chemical or electrical signals or by behaviors.

8. Anatomy

a. An opening or connecting passage between two structures.

b. A joining or connecting of solid fibrous structures, such as tendons and nerves.

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com·muni·cation·al adj.

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communication [kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən]

n

1. (Electronics & Computer Science / Communications & Information) the act or an instance of communicating; the imparting or exchange of information, ideas, or feelings

2. something communicated, such as a message, letter, or telephone call

3. (Electronics & Computer Science / Communications & Information)

a.  (usually plural; sometimes functioning as singular) the study of ways in which human beings communicate, including speech, gesture, telecommunication systems, publishing and broadcasting media, etc.

b.  (as modifier) communication theory

4. a connecting route, passage, or link

5. (Military) (plural) Military the system of routes and facilities by which forces, supplies, etc., are moved up to or within an area of operations

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Communication 

bush telegraph or jungle telegraph A jocular reference to the communications system employed by African natives in which coded messages are sent over long distances by the beating of a drum or hollow log.

call one’s shots To verbalize what one intends to do or in what manner one intends to act; to inform others of one’s plans. This phrase probably derives from various billiards games in which a player must call out the shot he plans to make before attempting it. The similar expression call the shots shifts the emphasis from one’s personal domain to a larger frame of reference in which an individual attempts to direct or control events, to be in charge, or to be in the driver’s seat. Call the shots may derive from the director’s role in film making.

get one’s signals crossed To be involved in a mutual misunderstanding, to fail to communicate. This current expression may have derived from the telephonic “crossing” of circuits which can result in accidental connections, though the use of various types of signals for communication is so pervasive as to preclude a precise origin for the phrase. Figurative use of the expression plays on the idea of an “accident,” implying mutual misunderstanding with no one at fault.

Can we by any chance have got the wires crossed? … It was the idea, wasn’t it, that we should pile on to a pot of tea together? (P. G. Wodehouse, Hot Water, 1932)

Today signals is heard more frequently than wires, perhaps reflecting technological advances which facilitate the transmission of signals without wires.

grapevine The route by which a rumor circulates. During the American Civil War, grapevine telegraph expressed the term’s current figurative sense while grapevine referred to the rumor itself.

Just another foolish grapevine.
(B. F. Willson, Old Sergeant, 1867)

The expression attained its gossip circuit connotation by analogy to the labyrinthine network of branches characteristic of the climbing grape plant.

The art world grape-vine buzzed with rumors. (New Yorker, October, 1970)

Irish hint A broad hint, an unsubtle intimation or insinuation. This rarely used Americanism appeared in Henry J. Nott’s Novellettes of a Traveller (1834):

Various young men, … intimated, in what might be called Irish hints that they had espied the worthy Mr. Hunt.

The reputed bluntness of the Irish may have given rise to the expression.

powwow A conference or meeting. This expression originally referred to the festive tribal ceremonies of American Indians. The term is commonly used today for any important council or convention.

The Abolitionists are having a great pow-wow here as to whether they shall or shall not maintain their organization. (Daily Telegraph, May, 1865)

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	communication - the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information; "they could not act without official communication from Moscow" communicating human action, human activity, act, deed - something that people do or cause to happen transmission - communication by means of transmitted signals intercommunication - mutual communication; communication with each other; "they intercepted intercommunication between enemy ships" medium - an intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication communication channel, channel, line - (often plural) a means of communication or access; "it must go through official channels"; "lines of communication were set up between the two firms" mail service, postal service, mail, post - the system whereby messages are transmitted via the post office; "the mail handles billions of items every day"; "he works for the United States mail service"; "in England they call mail `the post'" dramatic art, dramaturgy, theater, theatre, dramatics - the art of writing and producing plays discussion, discourse, treatment - an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic; "the book contains an excellent discussion of modal logic"; "his treatment of the race question is badly biased" exhortation - a communication intended to urge or persuade the recipients to take some action verbal expression, verbalism, expression - the communication (in speech or writing) of your beliefs or opinions; "expressions of good will"; "he helped me find verbal expression for my ideas"; "the idea was immediate but the verbalism took hours" exam, examination, test - a set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge; "when the test was stolen the professor had to make a new set of questions" persuasion, suasion - the act of persuading (or attempting to persuade); communication intended to induce belief or action dissuasion - persuading not to do or believe something; talking someone out of a belief or an intended course of action expostulation, objection, remonstrance, remonstration - the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest touch, contact - a communicative interaction; "the pilot made contact with the base"; "he got in touch with his colleagues" traffic - the amount of activity over a communication system during a given period of time; "heavy traffic overloaded the trunk lines"; "traffic on the internet is lightest during the night"
	2.	communication - something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups abstract entity, abstraction - a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples publication - the communication of something to the public; making information generally known message - a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled; "he sent a three-word message" contagion, infection - the communication of an attitude or emotional state among a number of people; "a contagion of mirth"; "the infection of his enthusiasm for poetry" language, linguistic communication - a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols; "he taught foreign languages"; "the language introduced is standard throughout the text"; "the speed with which a program can be executed depends on the language in which it is written" black and white, written communication, written language - communication by means of written symbols (either printed or handwritten) subject matter, content, message, substance - what a communication that is about something is about didacticism - communication that is suitable for or intended to be instructive; "the didacticism expected in books for the young"; "the didacticism of the 19th century gave birth to many great museums" signal, signaling, sign - any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message; "signals from the boat suddenly stopped" sign - a public display of a message; "he posted signs in all the shop windows" indicant, indication - something that serves to indicate or suggest; "an indication of foul play"; "indications of strain"; "symptoms are the prime indicants of disease" visual communication - communication that relies on vision display - exhibiting openly in public view; "a display of courage" expressive style, style - a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period; "all the reporters were expected to adopt the style of the newspaper" paralanguage, paralinguistic communication - the use of manner of speaking to communicate particular meanings auditory communication - communication that relies on hearing phonation, vocalisation, vocalization, vox, voice, vocalism - the sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract; "a singer takes good care of his voice"; "the giraffe cannot make any vocalizations" anomalous communication, psychic communication, psychical communication - communication by paranormal means voice - something suggestive of speech in being a medium of expression; "the wee small voice of conscience"; "the voice of experience"; "he said his voices told him to do it" document - a written account of ownership or obligation
	3.	communication - a connection allowing access between persons or places; "how many lines of communication can there be among four people?"; "a secret passageway provided communication between the two rooms" connection, connexion, connectedness - a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it); "there was a connection between eating that pickle and having that nightmare"

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communication

noun

1. contact, conversation, correspondence, intercourse, link, relations, connection The problem is a lack of real communication between you.

2. passing on, spread, circulation, transmission, disclosure, imparting, dissemination, conveyance Treatment involves the communication of information.

3. message, news, report, word, information, statement, intelligence, announcement, disclosure, dispatch The ambassador has brought with him a communication from the President.

plural noun

connections, travel, links, transport, routes Violent rain has caused flooding and cut communications between neighbouring towns.

Translations

communication [kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən]

A. N

1. (= verbal or written contact) → contacto m; (= exchange of information) → comunicación f
to be in/get into communication with (frm) → estar/ponerse en contacto con
there has been a breakdown of or in communication between the police and the community → el diálogo entre la policía y la comunidad ha sufrido un deterioro

2. (= message) → mensaje m, comunicación f

3. communications → comunicaciones fpl
good/poor communications → buenas/malas comunicaciones

B. CPD communication cord N (Rail) → timbre m or palanca f de alarma
communication problem N (personal) → problema m de expresión; (within organization) → problema m de comunicación
communication skills NPL → habilidad f or aptitud f para comunicarse
communications network N → red f de comunicaciones
communications satellite N → satélite m de comunicaciones
communications software N → paquete m de comunicaciones

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communication [kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃ^ən] n

(= contact) → communication f

(= message, contact) → communication f
communication breakdown n → problème m de communication
communication channels npl → canaux mpl de communication
to keep communication channels open → maintenir les canaux de communication ouverts
communication cord n (British) → sonnette f d'alarme
communication skills npl → techniques fpl de communication
He has good communication skills
BUT Il communique bien.
communications network n → réseau m de communications
communications satellite n → satellite m de télécommunications

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communication

n

(= communicating) → Verständigung f, → Kommunikation f; (of ideas, information) → Vermittlung f; (of disease) → Übertragung f; (= contact) → Verbindung f; system/means of communication → Kommunikationssystem nt → /-mittel nt; to be in communication with somebody → mit jdm in Verbindung stehen (about wegen)

(= exchanging of ideas) → Verständigung f, → Kommunikation f; communication breakdown → Zusammenbruch m → der Kommunikation

(= letter, message) → Mitteilung f

communications (= roads, railways, telegraph lines etc) → Kommunikationswege pl, → Kommunikationsnetz nt; all communications with the mainland have been cut off → sämtliche Verbindungen zum Festland sind unterbrochen; they’re trying to restore communications → man versucht, die Verbindung wiederherzustellen

communications (Telec) → Telekommunikation f

(between rooms etc) → Verbindung f

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communication:

communication cord

n (Brit Rail) → ˜ Notbremse f

communication gap

n → Kommunikationslücke f

communication problem

n → Kommunikationsproblem nt

communication skills

pl → Kommunikationsfähigkeit f

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communication [kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃ/ən] n → comunicazione f
to be in communication with (frm) → essere in contatto con

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communication → اتصال komunikace kommunikation Kommunikation επικοινωνία comunicación viestintä communication komunikacija comunicazione コミュニケーション 의사소통 communicatie kommunikasjon komunikacja comunicação сообщение kommunikation การติดต่อสื่อสาร iletişim sự truyền thông 沟通