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

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

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

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