cinematograph
Americannoun
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an early movie camera or projector, often a single mechanical device to record and project film.
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Older Use. a movie theater.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cinematograph
First recorded in 1895–1900; from French cinématographe, equivalent to cinémat- (from Greek kīnēmat-, stem of kī́nēma “motion”) + -o- connecting vowel + -graphe noun suffix; see -o-, -graph
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The French were pioneers in aviation, photography and filmmaking, and these technologies’ earliest machines and devices are on display, such as the 1895 Cinematograph, a groundbreaking camera and projection system created by the Lumière Brothers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Shows like Sacred Games, on Netflix, didn’t come under the ambit of Cinematograph Act, and thus the censor board couldn’t dictate terms.
From Slate • Sep. 20, 2021
In the wake of the disaster, the Cinematograph Act of 1909 was amended to make sure cinemas would have more exits, and that escape doors were to be fitted with push bars that opened outwards.
From BBC • Dec. 30, 2019
According to the Indian Cinematograph Act of 1952, clearance from the film certification board is mandatory for public exhibition of movies in India.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2015
He had come to Woodhouse not to look at Jordan's "Empire," but at the temporary wooden structure that stood in the old Cattle Market—"Wright's Cinematograph and Variety Theatre."
From The Lost Girl by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.