Dolby

American

[dohl-bee, dawl-] / ˈdoʊl bi, ˈdɔl- /

Trademark.

a brand of system for reducing high-frequency noise in audiotape using various electronic devices during recording and playback.

Dolby British

/ ˈdɒlbɪ /

noun

any of various specialized electronic circuits, esp those used for noise reduction in tape recorders by functioning as companders on high-frequency signals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Dolby

named after R. Dolby (born 1933), its US inventor

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.

He marveled at their bowling alley and Dolby Atmos-equipped movie theater.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

The Dolby Theatre sits at the corner of Hollywood and Highland, inside a retail and entertainment center near the TCL Chinese Theatre and the El Capitan.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

It also marks an end to a decades-long run for the ceremony at the Dolby, which is just a stone's throw from the Roosevelt Hotel, where the very first Oscars were handed out in 1929.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

They will continue to be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and televised live on ABC when the centennial ceremony is held in 2028.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

I doubt if they were so numerous as that, but they carried in the outer doors and pitched into Dolby with great vigour.

From The Letters of Charles Dickens Vol. 2, 1857-1870 by Dickens, Mamie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023