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

See Examples For:

player piano

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

The phonograph and the player piano together brought technological musical reproduction into the home in the early 1900s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026

Rinaudo spent the next few years searching for one, cold-calling player piano sellers, theater owners and antique shops.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2025

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

From New York Times ● May 10, 2022

I love the ice cream here, but my favorite part of the place is the player piano.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt