nickelodeon

American  

[nik-uh-loh-dee-uhn] / ˌnɪk əˈloʊ di ən /

noun

1. an early movie theater where a film or a variety show could be seen, usually for the admission price of a nickel.

2. an early jukebox that was operated by inserting nickels.

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nickelodeon British  

/ ˌnɪkəˈləʊdɪən /

noun

1. an early form of jukebox

2. (formerly) a cinema charging five cents for admission

3. (formerly) a Pianola, esp one operated by inserting a five-cent piece

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Etymology

Origin of nickelodeon

An Americanism first recorded in 1885–90; nickel (in the sense of “coin”) + (mel)odeon

Explanation

A nickelodeon is an old fashioned coin-operated machine that plays music. You can also call a nickelodeon a "jukebox." In the US, it's common to refer to an old-timey jukebox or player piano (or any music machine that operates with a coin or token) as a nickelodeon, although the original meaning was a movie theater or cinema that cost five cents. The movie theater definition dates from the late 1800s, from the Greek oideion, "building for performances," and the jukebox meaning was first used in the 1930s.

Example Sentences

He couldn’t vanquish his writer’s block, and he could barely feed himself; he’d had a gig playing piano at a nickelodeon, but it didn’t last.

From New York Times • Aug. 3, 2023

His grandfather, a Russian immigrant, operated a nickelodeon in the Bronx, and from there built a small chain of theaters in the city.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2019

Around the turn of the 20th century, storefront nickelodeon movie theaters joined saloons, dance halls and bowling alleys as city gathering points.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2018

The familiar faces that appeared on nickelodeon screens were known only by their studio’s brand: The Vitagraph Girl, The Biograph Girl.

From The Guardian • Oct. 19, 2017

I'd be ashamed to tell you what the nickelodeon handed me Saturday nights.

From Linda Lee, Incorporated A Novel by Vance, Louis Joseph