A means of making contact; an intermediary or go-between used to establish connections or introductions.
古い友人のつてで仕事を紹介してもらった。
I got a job introduced to me through an old friend's connections.
その問題はつてを頼って解決した方が早い。
It's faster to resolve that problem by relying on connections.
つてがないので、自分で会社に電話した。
Since I had no contacts, I called the company myself.
Connections or influence; the pull or good offices one can use via acquaintances or networks.
彼は会社内に強いつてがあるらしい。
Apparently he has strong connections within the company.
政治家のつてを使って許可を取った。
We obtained permission by using a politician's influence.
つてをたどって古い記録を見つけた。
I followed leads/connections and found the old records.