TTY
6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for TTY, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A text terminal on a computer, especially the terminal device or console session that a Unix or Linux system uses for keyboard input and text output.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun technical
A text terminal on a computer, especially the terminal device or console session that a Unix or Linux system uses for keyboard input and text output.
“Run 'tty' and it will print the name of the terminal you are currently using, such as /dev/pts/0.”
2. noun
A device that lets a person who is deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired send and receive typed messages over a telephone line.
“The helpline lists a separate TTY number for deaf callers.”
How to Use Tty
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Technical jargon in computing; in accessibility contexts it is standard, official vocabulary.
Etymology
An abbreviation of teletypewriter, the early printing terminal that connected to a computer or telephone line.
Full origin of TTY →Frequently Asked Questions
What does TTY stand for?
It stands for teletypewriter. The original machines were electromechanical typewriters that sent and received text down a wire, and the name stuck for the software terminals that replaced them.
What is the difference between TTY and PTY?
A TTY is the general idea of a terminal device, historically a real piece of hardware. A PTY, or pseudo-terminal, is a software emulation of one, which is what you are using whenever you open a terminal window or connect over SSH.
Why do scripts complain about 'no TTY'?
Some commands need an interactive terminal, for example to hide a password as you type it. When they run from a cron job, a pipeline or a container without a terminal attached, there is no TTY and the command refuses or fails.