TD
Abbreviation with 8 meanings
| Stands for | Touchdown |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 8 |
| Categories | Sports, Medical, Government & Politics, Organizations & Companies, Geography & Places, Law & Legal |
| Also written | Td |
TD has eight meanings. The most common are Touchdown (American football) and Tardive dyskinesia (mental health & psychiatry); it can also stand for Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids vaccine, Teachta Dála, TD Bank Group (Toronto-Dominion Bank), Transdermal and Chad, plus 1 more listed below.
Meanings of TD at a glance
| # | TD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Touchdown | Sports › American Football |
| 2 | Tardive dyskinesia | Medical › Mental Health & Psychiatry |
| 3 | Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids vaccine | Medical › Infectious Disease |
| 4 | Teachta Dála | Government & Politics › World Government |
| 5 | TD Bank Group (Toronto-Dominion Bank) | Organizations & Companies › Company and Brand |
| 6 | Transdermal | Medical › Medication Route |
| 7 | Chad | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 8 | Terminal disclaimer | Law & Legal › Intellectual Property |
1. Touchdown
Sports · American Football Abbreviations
Six-point score made by carrying the ball across the opponent's goal line or catching a pass in the end zone. After a touchdown the scoring team tries a one-point kick or a two-point play.
Example: He threw for 290 yards and three TDs in the 31-24 win.
The term comes from rugby, where a player had to touch the ball to the ground behind the goal line; in American football the ball only needs to break the plane of the goal line. Touchdowns were worth four points until 1898, five until 1912, and six since. Pronounced "T-D". Canadian football also awards six points.
2. Tardive dyskinesia
Medical · Mental Health & Psychiatry Abbreviations
Involuntary, repetitive movements, often of the mouth, tongue and face (lip smacking, tongue protrusion, grimacing), that develop after months or years of exposure to dopamine-blocking drugs such as antipsychotics or metoclopramide. It may persist after the drug is stopped.
Example: Moderate TD on AIMS after 8 years of haloperidol; start valbenazine 40 mg daily.
"Tardive" means late-appearing. The VMAT2 inhibitors valbenazine and deutetrabenazine, both approved in 2017, were the first FDA-approved treatments. Metoclopramide carries a boxed warning about TD with long-term use. Regular screening with the AIMS exam is recommended. In prescriptions TD can mean transdermal, so the context matters.
3. Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids vaccine (Td)
Medical · Infectious Disease Abbreviations
Adult booster vaccine against tetanus and diphtheria recommended every 10 years after the childhood series, and sooner for dirty or major wounds if more than five years have passed since the last dose.
Example: Puncture wound from rusty nail, last booster 7 years ago; Td 0.5 mL IM given.
The capital T and lowercase d reflect a full tetanus dose with reduced diphtheria toxoid. Since 2019 US guidance allows either Td or Tdap for routine boosters. Tetanus immune globulin is added for dirty wounds in people with an incomplete or unknown vaccination history. Tetanus is not spread from person to person, so immunity comes only from vaccination.
4. Teachta Dála
Government & Politics · World Government Abbreviations
Irish title for a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower and principal house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's parliament. TDs are elected by single transferable vote in multi-seat constituencies, and the Dáil elected in 2024 has 174 members.
Example: The local TD raised the housing shortage with the Taoiseach in the Dáil.
The Irish words mean "deputy to the Dáil", and the title is placed after a name, as in "Mary Murphy TD". The head of government, the Taoiseach, must be a TD. Each constituency elects three to five TDs, so voters often have representatives from several parties.
5. TD Bank Group (Toronto-Dominion Bank)
Organizations & Companies · Company and Brand Abbreviations
One of Canada's largest banks, with extensive US retail operations under the TD Bank name along the East Coast. Headquartered in Toronto.
Example: There's a TD branch open on Sundays near my apartment.
Formed in 1955 by the merger of the Bank of Toronto (founded 1855) and The Dominion Bank (founded 1869). It expanded in the US by buying Banknorth and Commerce Bancorp in the 2000s. In 2024 its US unit pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering failures and accepted an asset cap.
6. Transdermal
Medical · Medication Route Abbreviations
Delivery of a drug through intact skin into the bloodstream, usually from an adhesive patch that releases medicine steadily over one to seven days. Nicotine, fentanyl, clonidine, estradiol, scopolamine and rivastigmine are common transdermal drugs.
Example: Scopolamine 1 mg/3 days TD patch behind the ear 4 hours before the cruise.
Also written "transdermal" or "TDS" (transdermal system) on product labels. Patches must be removed before applying a new one, folded sticky-side in for disposal, and kept away from heat sources, which can speed absorption. Some patches contain metal backing and must be removed before MRI scans.
7. Chad
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Chad's code comes from its French name, Tchad; N'Djamena is the capital and TCD the alpha-3 code. Lake Chad, on its western border, has shrunk by about 90 percent since the 1960s.
Example: Refugee camps in eastern TD shelter people fleeing the war in Sudan.
Chad is Africa's fifth-largest country by area. French and Arabic are official languages.
8. Terminal disclaimer
Law & Legal · Intellectual Property Abbreviations
Statement filed in a US patent or application disclaiming any part of the patent term that would extend beyond the expiration of a related patent, usually to overcome a double patenting rejection. It also requires the patents to remain commonly owned to be enforceable.
Example: We filed a TD to overcome the double patenting rejection over the parent patent.
Governed by 37 C.F.R. § 1.321. Terminally disclaimed patents effectively expire together. In re Cellect (Fed. Cir. 2023) held that double patenting is judged using a patent's expiration date including any patent term adjustment. Outside patent law, TD usually means touchdown.
Related abbreviations
More American football abbreviations
- S – Safety
- SB – Super Bowl
- SS – Strong safety
- ST – Special teams
- TE – Tight end
- TFL – Tackle for loss
- TKL – Tackles
- TOP – Time of possession
See all 80 American football abbreviations →
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- SIB – Self-injurious behavior
- SLD – Specific learning disorder
- SMI – Serious mental illness
- SUD – Substance use disorder
- TF-CBT – Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy
- TMS – Transcranial magnetic stimulation
- TRD – Treatment-resistant depression
- VH – Visual hallucinations
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.