tone arm

or tonearm

noun

1. the free-swinging bracket of a phonograph containing the pickup.

tone arm

noun

1. another name for pick-up

Word History and Origins

Origin of tone arm¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Steinberg notes that this is “fully automatic,” meaning the push of a button moves the tone arm in place to start the record, and that the arm lifts off on its own at the end.

From The Verge

The way that I listen when I’m truly enthralled by a particular piece of music certainly feels like a crush—picking up the tone arm, hitting the back button, refreshing the browser, over and over.

From The New Yorker

Move the “tone arm” into place and the cookie starts to spin, seeming to produce one of several futuristic electro-tunes that sound, I don’t know, like something an Oreo cookie would play.

From Washington Post

The tone arm attached to the gramophone bell broke easily.

From Los Angeles Times

Someone trying to change a record dropped the tone arm down and broke the crystal.

From Literature