preamplifier

American  

[pree-am-pluh-fahy-er] / priˈæm pləˌfaɪ ər /

noun

1. a device in the amplifier circuit of a radio or phonograph that increases the strength of a weak signal for detection and further amplification.

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preamplifier British  

/ priːˈæmplɪˌfaɪə /

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: preamp.  an electronic amplifier used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of an electronic device. It boosts a low-level signal to an intermediate level before it is transmitted to the main amplifier

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Etymology

Origin of preamplifier

First recorded in 1930–35; pre- + amplifier

Compare meaning

How does preamplifier compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• preamplifier vs. amplifier

Example Sentences

This past July, the room was dominated by a computer and a vocal preamplifier.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 28, 2015

On a recent Thursday afternoon, Drew Robinson, 23, a musician from Greenpoint, stopped in to pick up an old General Electric preamplifier tube for a guitar he was repairing.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2011

Later Lionel sent me a very valuable present, valuable not for its cost but for the fact that it was something quite unobtainable in Greece at that time—a very low-noise preamplifier for 2 metres.

From The Dawn of Amateur Radio in the U.K. and Greece: a personal view by Joly, Norman F.