78

American  

[sev-uhn-tee-eyt] / ˈsɛv ən tiˈeɪt /

noun

78s, plural 78's plural

1. an early type of shellac-based phonograph record that played at 78 revolutions per minute.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• 78's
  plural
• 78s
  plural

Etymology

Origin of 78

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

78 78's 78s

Last things first: Eve Babitz is a major minor L.A. writer who died five years ago at age 78.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

It represented 92 percent of all seaborne crude exports in June and 78 percent so far in July.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Edwards Lifesciences’ second-quarter sales rose 14% to $1.74 billion, while adjusted earnings per share reached 78 cents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Widdecombe, 78, a former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead on Thursday 9 July at her home in Haytor, Devon, having sustained serious injuries.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

“Oh! Yes, very nice place. Very far. In the country. Lots of cows and grass. Up, up, up 78 West.”

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

For decades, he had chafed against the 78’s constraints, occasionally recording two- or four-sided works and in concert letting pieces unfold over dozens of minutes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

Dancing the foxtrot to Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally” and a freestyle dance to District 78’s “Que Calor,” Gomez and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, got perfect scores to secure the top prize.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2023

Whitey Morgan & the 78’s The honky-tonk band performs.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2015

We also have thousands of LP’s, mostly 78’s, and four or five old-fashioned phonographs to play them on, the old kind with the horn and the crank.

From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2011

In last week's third round Parks got a 73 while Thomson was taking 77, Sarazen and Krueger 78's.

From Time Magazine Archive

On the 78s she left behind, she’s an intriguingly forceful presence—but remote, as if heard from the next room through a paper cup and string.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

What he found in the 78s that Juarez left behind was more than a record collection; they were miniature time capsules from a teenage world bound by friendship, community, and music.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

“It was illegal to own or play or sell the records, so people hid their 78s under their mattresses. And after the war, they began to emerge,” Sussman said.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2023

The results in the final two rounds — back-to-back 78s that left him 13 over par for the event — were the result of cooler temperatures and his physical limitations.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 4, 2023

He made one last trip a month ago, to a flea market in Emmittsburg, Md., in search of 78s, but didn’t find any.

From New York Times ● Sep. 30, 2022