Editor's note:The system described below is called American Morse Code, and is the original code developed by Samuel Morse. Unlike modern international morse code, American morse code made use of spaces inside of individual letters, such as O and C. These intra-letter spacings were eliminated with the development of international morse code in Germany in 1848, which changed the way the numbers and eleven of the letters were encoded. The new letters are given in the last section, but the new numbers are not. American morse code became obsolete in the 1960s. Please see the other writeups in this node for international morse code. This definition has been retained for its historic value.
Morse" code" (?). (Teleg.)
The telegraphic code, consisting of dots, dashes, and spaces, invented by Samuel B. Morse. The Alphabetic code which is in use in North America is given below. In length, or duration, one dash is theoretically equal to three dots; the space between the elements of a letter is equal to one dot; the interval in spaced letters, as O . ., is equal to three dots. There are no spaces in any letter composed wholly or in part of dashes.
Alphabet
A .- H .... O . . V ...-
B - . . . I .. P ..... W .--
C .. . J -.-. Q ..-. X .-..
D -.. K -.- R . .. Y .. ..
E . L long dash S ... Z ... .
F .-. M -- T -- & . ...
G --. N -. U ..-
Numerals
1 .--. 4 . . . .- 7 --..
2 ..-.. 5 --- 8 - . . . .
3 . . . -. 6 . . . . . . 9 -..-
0 ---- Period ..--.. Comma .-.-
The International (Morse) code used elsewhere is the same as the
above with the following exceptions.
C -.-. L .-.. Q --.- Y -.--
F ..-. O --- R .-. Z --..
J .--- P .--. X -..-
The Morse code is used chiefly with the electric telegraph, but is also employed in signalling with flags, lights, etc.
© Webster 1913