Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - shorthand

~ n 1 a fast method of writing using special signs or shorter forms to represent letters, words, and phrases  (in shorthand)  (The reporter took notes in shorthand.)  (- compare longhand) 2 be shorthand for to be a shorter but less clear way of saying something  (He's been `relocated', which is shorthand for `given a worse job a long way away'.)