stereo

¹ American  

[ster-ee-oh, steer-] / ˈstɛr iˌoʊ, ˈstɪər- /

noun

plural

stereos

1. stereoscopic photography.

2. a stereoscopic photograph.

3. stereophonic sound reproduction.

4. a system or the equipment for reproducing stereophonic sound.

5. Printing. stereotype.

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adjective

1. pertaining to stereophonic sound, stereoscopic photography, etc.

verb (used with object)

1. Printing. stereotype.

stereo- ² American  

especially before a vowel, stere-.

1. a combining form borrowed from Greek, where it meant “solid”, used with reference to hardness, solidity, three-dimensionality in the formation of compound words.

   stereochemistry; stereogram; stereoscope.

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stereo. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. stereotype.

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stereo ¹ British  

/ ˈstɪər-, ˈstɛrɪəʊ /

adjective

1. short for stereophonic stereoscopic

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noun

1. stereophonic sound

   to broadcast in stereo

2. a stereophonic record player, tape recorder, etc

3. photog

   1. stereoscopic photography

   2. a stereoscopic photograph

4. printing short for stereotype

stereo- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating three-dimensional quality or solidity

   stereoscope

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Etymology

Origin of stereo¹

First recorded in 1815–25; by shortening

Origin of stereo-²

From the Greek word stereós

Example Sentences

"It gives us what you might call a stereo perspective -- two different vantage points simultaneously."

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

Beginning in the 1950s, Jamaica had a strong tradition of home-built stereo systems that were played outside and used for street dance parties.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Rayvone Douthard, 51, picked up food in a white Nissan truck with his windows down and stereo blaring a cover by the band Tierra of the 1967 song “Together.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025

The tough thing about this is there’s a lot of nuance, and the best way to think about a criminal justice system is to think about it like an old-school stereo.

From Slate • Aug. 13, 2025

Since my father could not repay him, he took our stereo.

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

Related Words

• audio system
• radio
• sound system