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gramophone

American  
[gram-uh-fohn] / ˈgræm əˌfoʊn /

noun

  1. a phonograph.


gramophone British  
/ ˌɡræməˈfɒnɪk, ˈɡræməˌfəʊn /

noun

    1. US and Canadian name: phonograph.  Also called: acoustic gramophone.  a device for reproducing the sounds stored on a record: now usually applied to the nearly obsolete type that uses a clockwork motor and acoustic horn

    2. ( as modifier )

      a gramophone record

  1. the technique and practice of recording sound on disc

    the gramophone has made music widely available

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of gramophone

First recorded in 1887; originally a trademark; apparently inversion of phonogram now obsolete name for a phonographic cylinder

Compare meaning

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Explanation

A gramophone is an old type of record player. These days, a gramophone is a real antique. A gramophone, like a cassette player, CD player, or MP3 player, is a device for playing music. A gramophone plays records: discs with grooves that are amplified by a needle. It's a relic today, but at one time this turntable device was the chief means by which recorded music made its way to the ears of home listeners. The word was originally a trademark, and inspired the Grammy Awards (originally the Gramophone Awards), which are over fifty years old.

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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.

In 1887 German-American inventor Emile Berliner invented the flat shellac disk, quickly saw its advantage for mass production, and patented a device to play them, the gramophone, that same year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Bad Bunny, who won the Album of the Year prize a week ago, presented the child -- perhaps a younger version of himself -- with a golden gramophone.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

The original presenter was Franklin Engelmann, who played "a selection from the top shelf of current popular gramophone records".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2024

Some elements of the stage – like the gramophone in the middle – will remain the same.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 30, 2024

The distant gramophone stuck now, suddenly, on a grinding, wailing, sardonic trumpet-note; this blind, ugly crying swelled the moment and filled the room.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

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