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

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 rotating stage is dominated by a wooden swing, a player piano and, most memorably, a gigantic fish: two halves of a trout, suspended high above the actors.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2023

A framed photo of Peter Pan soaring across Neverland stands high above his wooden player piano.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2023

An older man dropped a coin into the player piano, which pushed out a quick song like the kind from a carousel.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen