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.

---

player piano British  

noun

1. a mechanical piano; Pianola

---

Etymology

Origin of player piano

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

player piano

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

Luce, in collaboration with metals fabricator A. Zahner Co., also designed a ceiling canopy for the lobby, titled “Suspended Refrain,” which harkens to the geometric patterns of player piano rolls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2022

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