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
How does gramophone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
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
Her golden gramophone trophy marks her out as one of pop's most promising new names, joining former best new artist winners like Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, Adele and Olivia Rodrigo.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
Bad Bunny is in the running for six prizes at the Grammy Awards, including the night's most prestigious Album of the Year gramophone.
From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026
Some elements of the stage – like the gramophone in the middle – will remain the same.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 30, 2024
From three flights below a raucous cheer arises, a new song on the gramophone.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
