jukebox

American  

[jook-boks] / ˈdʒukˌbɒks /

noun

• jukeboxes
  plural

1. a coin-operated phonograph, typically in a gaudy, illuminated cabinet, having a variety of records that can be selected by push button.

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jukebox British  

/ ˈdʒuːkˌbɒks /

noun

1. a coin-operated machine, usually found in pubs, clubs, etc, that contains records, CDs, or videos, which are played when selected by a customer

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• jukeboxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of jukebox

1915–20; juke ² ( joint ) + box ¹

Explanation

A jukebox is a machine that plays a song when you insert money. Jukeboxes are pretty rare these days, but you might come across one at, say, an old-fashioned diner. In the 1930s, a juke was a small restaurant where people could eat, drink, and dance. "Juking" meant dancing and getting rowdy. When a music vending machine came along, people called it a jukebox because they could crank up the music and really let loose. Originally, jukeboxes were large, cabinet-style devices that played vinyl records; you could drop in a dime or a quarter and choose your favorite song. These days, jukeboxes have gone digital.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jukebox jukeboxes

The piece was about the old 45 rpm record labels from the jukebox era of rock music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

As Ahmed demonstrates, the film’s documentary style both reimagined the jukebox musical and captured the frenzy of mid-1960s filmmaking.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

The jukebox musical inspired by Alicia Keys’ life will open at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles at the end of May.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Lunch finished, we settle next to a Wurlitzer jukebox in the corner of the room.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

Opening the cash register, Milton gave me a stack of quarters to use in the jukebox.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

“Mrs. Rockola said no. She said, ‘You get enough of jukeboxes at the factory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

But he started his business in 1926 and at first it manufactured scales, not jukeboxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Dave Madore owns the arcade and jukeboxes inside the restaurant, where he was supposed to be Wednesday night to fix a jukebox that was on the fritz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2023

But the infectious groove, Mr. Lewis’s bluesy piano work and the ecstatic crowd reaction helped make the Ramsey Lewis Trio’s rendition of “The ‘In’ Crowd” a staple on radio stations and jukeboxes across the country.

From New York Times ● Sep. 12, 2022

When other entrepreneurs created jukeboxes by arranging for a phonograph to play popular music at the drop of a coin, Edison objected to this debasement, which apparently detracted from serious office use of his invention.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond