player piano

American  

noun

1. a piano that can play automatically when the keys are actuated electronically or by a pneumatic device controlled by a piano roll.

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player piano British  

noun

1. a mechanical piano; Pianola

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Etymology

Origin of player piano

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

The player piano and the phonograph not only introduced recorded music to a mass audience, they also prepared the way for machines to become integrated into musical creation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

As a teenager, he thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if the player piano could play along with a silent movie?”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025

Any piece for so many pianos is bound to call to mind Conlon Nancarrow, an American composer who wrote vastly complex music for the player piano.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

A player piano dashed out a Scott Joplin rag, its pep perfectly scoring the electric scene.

From New York Times • May 10, 2022

Farther in, a player piano was playing something that was intended to have been Ravel’s “Bolero.”

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman