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 2027 and 2028 Oscars will also be the last two ceremonies held at the Dolby Theatre after more than a quarter century at the Hollywood mainstay.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 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 slept all morning, and in the afternoon was disposed to agree with Miss Dolby that the whole business had been a bad dream, nothing more.

From The Golgotha Dancers by Wellman, Manly Wade

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