phonograph

[ foh-nuh-graf, -grahf ]

noun

1. any sound-reproducing machine using records in the form of cylinders or discs.

phonograph

/ ˈfəʊnəˌɡrɑːf; -ˌɡræf /

noun

1. an early form of gramophone capable of recording and reproducing sound on wax cylinders
2. Also calledgramophonerecord player a device for reproducing the sounds stored on a record: now usually applied to the nearly obsolete type that uses a clockwork motor and acoustic horn

Word History and Origins

Origin of phonograph¹

1825–35 in sense “phonogram”; 1877 for the “talking phonograph” invented by T. A. Edison; phono- + -graph

Example Sentences

Ms. Stoneman made her mark in 1957 with her driving instrumental version of “Lonesome Road Blues,” which made her the first woman to play modern bluegrass banjo on a phonograph record.

From New York Times

He was worried that it would look like a phonograph needle and cement the idea that the building was designed to look like a stack of records.

From Los Angeles Times

Each spacecraft carries a golden record: a phonograph that includes greetings from languages around the world and a host of musical excerpts.

From Scientific American

There were newfangled inventions: player pianos, phonographs and nickelodeons.

From New York Times

Poetry has been a part of recorded sound ever since Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, showing off his creation by recording “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on tinfoil.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• stereo