polyphone

[pol-ee-fohn]

noun Phonetics.

a polyphonic letter or symbol.

Origin of polyphone

From the Greek word polýphōnos, dating back to 1645–55. See poly-, -phone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for polyphone

Historical Examples of polyphone

The Old Dear now put a penny in the slot of the polyphone, and winding it up started it playing.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
Robert Tressell
He had had six and a half pints of beer, and had listened to two selections on the polyphone at a total cost of one penny.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
Robert Tressell

British Dictionary definitions for polyphone

polyphone

noun

a letter or character having more than one phonetic value, such as English c, pronounced (k) before a, o, or u or (s) before e or i

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012