Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A newspaper of small format giving the news in condensed form, usually with illustrated, often sensational material.
  • adjective In summary form; condensed.
  • adjective Lurid or sensational.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A tablet; a small troche, usually administered by the mouth, or, after solution, hypodermically.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Compressed or condensed, as into a tabloid; administrated in or as in tabloids, or small condensed bits.
  • adjective of or pertaining to a tabloid newspaper or the type of story typically contained in one, such as lurid or sensationalistic stories of scandal, crime, or violence.
  • noun A compressed portion of one or more drugs or chemicals, or of food, etc.
  • noun a newspaper with pages about half the size of a standard-sized newspaper, especially one that has relatively short or condensed articles and a large porortion of pictorial matter.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun publishing A newspaper having pages half the dimensions of the standard format, especially one that favours stories of a sensational nature over more serious news.
  • adjective In the format of a tabloid.
  • adjective Relating to a tabloid or tabloids.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun sensationalist journalism
  • noun newspaper with half-size pages

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From tabloid journalism, from Tabloid, trademark for a drug or chemical in condensed form.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From a trademark for a medicine compressed into a tablet. See -oid.

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Examples

  • At 7: 30, often, there is what I call the tabloid story of the morning.

    CNN Transcript Dec 13, 2009 2009

  • Defense attorney Linda Kennedy Baden didn ` t hold back in her criticism of the local and what she called the tabloid media on NBC ` s "Today Show" this morning.

    CNN Transcript May 4, 2009 2009

  • At 7: 30, often, there is what I call the tabloid story of the morning.

    CNN Transcript Dec 13, 2009 2009

  • Famous defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden lashed out at Orlando ` s local media, and what she calls tabloid media on NBC ` s "Today Show" this morning, while simultaneously attacking the prosecution ` s decision to seek the death penalty.

    CNN Transcript May 4, 2009 2009

  • His campaign aides say it's an opportunity to try to bypass what they call tabloid-centric media coverage, and bring a positive message to voters.

    CNN Transcript Oct 2, 2006 2006

  • Vonn admitted what she calls the "tabloid gossip" surrounding her concussion really got to her.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed 2011

  • Vonn admitted what she calls the "tabloid gossip" surrounding her concussion really got to her.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed 2011

  • This is what I call tabloid morals and pop culture values.

    Writer's Block Media 2009

  • As it was Mr. Justice Byrne was quite correct, as the word tabloid had indeed come to be used to mean the "compressed form or dose of anything"; during World War I, a small Sopwith biplane was known as the 'tabloid' within the Royal Air Force, whilst during the

    Everything2 New Writeups 2008

  • As it was Mr. Justice Byrne was quite correct, as the word tabloid had indeed come to be used to mean the "compressed form or dose of anything"; during World War I, a small Sopwith biplane was known as the 'tabloid' within the Royal Air Force, whilst during the

    Everything2 New Writeups 2008

Comments

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  • "Think of the Enquirer as the media establishment's rogue uncle who likes to throw back a few at family reunions and then regale relatives with tacky, delicious stories of debatable veracity. He isn't entirely assimilated into polite company, but then you can't stop listening to him, either."

    —Jonathan Mahler, "The Ur-Text of a Tabloid Age," Newsweek, September 29, 2008

    September 26, 2008

  • Yields broadloid.

    September 26, 2008

  • Hmmmm, here's How To Write A Daily Express Front Page.

    February 4, 2009

  • 404 Not Found, a mere eleven hours later.

    February 4, 2009

  • Curious. Try this link.

    February 4, 2009

  • Surely that flowchart had a row for Posh and Beckham before they decamped for L.A.

    Now, if it were the Times, there would have to be a logic checkbox related to the date, and reported first cuckoo-hearings.

    February 4, 2009

  • I like the way the Diana front pages all have a file photo of her, as if everyone in England might have suddenly forgotten what she looked like and needed a photo to illustrate the story.

    February 4, 2009

  • Diana who?

    February 6, 2009