Short Message Service

[ʃɔːrt ˈmɛsɪdʒ ˈsɜːrvɪs]
noun
Serviço de Mensagens Curtas
1. A telecommunications service for sending short text messages to mobile phones, typically limited to 160 characters per message
Before smartphone messaging apps, people relied on Short Message Service to communicate quickly.
Antes dos aplicativos de mensagem em smartphones, as pessoas usavam o Serviço de Mensagens Curtas para se comunicar rapidamente.
2. The technology standard that enables the transmission of text messages on mobile networks
Short Message Service was revolutionary when it first became available in the 1990s.
O Serviço de Mensagens Curtas foi revolucionário quando se tornou disponível nos anos 1990.
Short Message Service was a dominant communication method in Brazil and Portugal during the 2000s-2010s before being largely replaced by messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. The term SMS is now far more commonly used than the full English name. In Brazil, colloquial terms like 'torpedo' were sometimes used for SMS messages. Today, the service remains relevant for notifications, two-factor authentication, and official communications from banks and government services.
NYC Slang
text
Synonyms / Sinônimos
SMStext messagetext messagingtexting
Antonyms / Antônimos
voice callemailvideo call

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
Serviço de Mensagens Curtas
Standard formal term, rarely used in casual speech where SMS is preferred
Rio de Janeiro
SMS
SMS is commonly used; 'mensagem de texto' also acceptable
São Paulo
SMS
Preference for abbreviation SMS; 'torpedo' sometimes used colloquially
Portugal
Serviço de Mensagens Curtas
More formal usage; SMS commonly abbreviated; 'SMS' pronounced as individual letters

Related Words

SMStext messagemobile phoneinstant messagingMMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)WhatsAppcharacter limit

Related Idioms & Phrases

send an SMS
text someone
message limit
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