microphone
[ mahy-kruh-fohn ]
/ ˈmaɪ krəˌfoʊn /
noun
an instrument capable of transforming sound waves into changes in electric currents or voltage, used in recording or transmitting sound.
Nearby words
Origin of microphone
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for microphone
British Dictionary definitions for microphone
microphone
/ (ˈmaɪkrəˌfəʊn) /
noun
a device used in sound-reproduction systems for converting sound into electrical energy, usually by means of a ribbon or diaphragm set into motion by the sound waves. The vibrations are converted into the equivalent audio-frequency electric currentsInformal name: mike See also carbon microphone Compare loudspeaker
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for microphone
microphone
1680s, "ear trumpet for the hard-of-hearing," coined from Greek mikros "small" (see mica) + phone "sound" (see fame (n.)). Modern meaning dates from 1929, from use in radio broadcasting and movie recording. Earlier, "amplifying telephone transmitter" (1878). Of the two spellings of the short form of the word, mike (1927) is older than mic (1961).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper