tabloid English · revision 1214

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈtæblɔɪd/ ''(UK)''; /ˈtæbˌlɔɪd/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It began as ''Tabloid'', a trademark registered in 1884 by Burroughs, Wellcome and Co. for compressed drugs and chemicals,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(AHD) formed from [[tablet]] and [[-oid]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A small compressed tablet of a drug (1884).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By 1898 the word was used figuratively for a compressed form or dose of anything,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) hence ''tabloid journalism'' (1900–01), condensed and often sensational.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) From 1918 it named a newspaper of small page size with short articles, many pictures and sensational stories.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989) The concept was associated with the British newspaper owner Alfred Harmsworth.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1884 – trademark for compressed drugs.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1898 – a compressed form of anything.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1901 – adjective, condensed, and ''tabloid journalism''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1918 – a small-format popular newspaper.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A newspaper with pages about half the size of a standard [[broadsheet]], giving the news in condensed form with many pictures.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Such a newspaper featuring [[sensational]] stories of crime and scandal.^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+ # A condensed version; a [[digest]] or summary.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Compressed or condensed into a small space.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Sensational in the manner of popular newspapers.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tabloidism]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tablet]]

+ * [[table]]

+ * [[-oid]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}