gramophone
Americannoun
noun
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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
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( as modifier )
a gramophone record
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the technique and practice of recording sound on disc
the gramophone has made music widely available
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.
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.
Although, he could have a total of three gramophone trophies by the time January rolls around.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
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
"I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country to follow their dreams," Bad Bunny said as he accepted his groundbreaking gramophone.
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
He often cited his first musical memory as "winding up a gramophone playing opera records, and trying to sing along to it".
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2025
There’s a gramophone in Mrs. O’Connor’s playing an Irish jig or a reel and boys and girls are dancing around kicking their legs out and keeping their hands to their sides.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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