# Wikileaks: What is a "cable?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-what-is-a-cable/562667 "2010-12-02T15:03:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LeidenFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eada6e/32.png) [@LeidenFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeidenFrost)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-what-is-a-cable/562667/1 "2010-12-02T15:03:10Z")
The title says it all. Wikileaks has leaked thousands of “cables.” What exactly is a “cable?” Is this like an email? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-what-is-a-cable/562667/2 "2010-12-02T15:13:44Z")
[Definition 3b](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cable?show=0&t=1291302791) ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-what-is-a-cable/562667/3 "2010-12-02T15:22:36Z")
[What’s a “Diplomatic Cable”](http://www.slate.com/id/2276198/). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-what-is-a-cable/562667/4 "2010-12-02T18:29:02Z")
From my own experience: it’s a holdover word from back in the day when info was sent by telegram.