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hi-fi

[hahy-fahy]
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noun
  1. high fidelity.
  2. a phonograph, radio, or other sound-reproducing apparatus possessing high fidelity.
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adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of such apparatus; high-fidelity.
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Origin of hi-fi

1945–50, Americanism; shortened form of high fidelity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for hi-fi

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • The players were projectors of full-color, hi-fi sound, tri-di pictures.

    Masters of Space

    Edward Elmer Smith

  • He punched a button on the chair and the 600-dollar hi-fi selected a random tape.

    The Syndic

    C.M. Kornbluth

  • I played some hi-fi records, things she liked, until she fell asleep.

  • "That's what I thought," I said, getting up to switch on the hi-fi.

    The Right Time

    Walter Bupp

  • Just to keep the mood the same, I turned on my hi-fi and drew the loveseat up in front of the desk in my study.

    The Right Time

    Walter Bupp

British Dictionary definitions for hi-fi

hi-fi

noun informal
    1. short for high fidelity
    2. (as modifier)hi-fi equipment
  2. a set of high-quality sound-reproducing equipment
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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

Word Origin and History for hi-fi

adj.

1947, abbreviation of high fidelity (1934), of radio recievers, in reference to their quality of sound reproduction. Hi as an advertiser's phonetic shortening of high is attested by 1914.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper