Turns out that *telephoto* refers to a specific construction of a long-focal-length lens, i.e., one where the lens is [physically shorter than the focal length][1].

Is there a generic term for referring to lenses of long focal length, while being agnostic as to their optical construction? (Wikipedia claims there's not.)

Alternately, is this distinction simply pedantry and I should just call all long lenses telephoto?

  [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephoto