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

From the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon to the WB and later the CW, television shows geared toward tweens and teens dominated screens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The merged entity will include CNN, CBS, HBO and Nickelodeon as well as some of Hollywood's most valuable franchises, including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Mission Impossible and SpongeBob SquarePants.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Paramount's traditional networks already include brands such as Nickelodeon, CBS and Comedy Central.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Paramount found itself on the auction block two years ago, in part, because of the weight of its struggling cable channels, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

As you can imagine, this wasn’t an idea that came easily to Nickelodeon.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell