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 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

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

He had Steinway program a player piano to perform “Mad Rush” with Glass pounding playing style, and he had his roaming camera observe the big cat’s response to the music.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2024

The often-uneven payouts for artists and their record labels can also be traced to the early 1900s with another advancement in music technology: the player piano.

From Washington Post • Feb. 14, 2022

The diamonds of the backgammon board undulated like player piano keys.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides