record player

American  

noun

1. phonograph.

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record player British  

noun

1. a device for reproducing the sounds stored on a record, consisting of a turntable, usually electrically driven, that rotates the record at a fixed speed of 33, 45, or (esp formerly) 78 revolutions a minute. A stylus vibrates in accordance with undulations in the groove in the record: these vibrations are converted into electric currents, which, after amplification, are recreated in the form of sound by one or more loudspeakers See also monophonic quadraphonics stereophonic

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Etymology

Origin of record player

First recorded in 1930–35

Compare meaning

How does record-player compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• phonograph vs. record player

Example Sentences

These included a record player positioned on a table next to the bed for optimal roll-over needle drops and a disorganized assortment of motorcycle magazines and ’50s and ’60s 7” singles scattered across the floor.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

In 2023, Luminate found that only 50% of consumers who paid for vinyl over the previous 12 months actually had a record player.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025

It was outfitted with a couch, coffee table, piano and record player.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2025

However, rather than pressing the tip into the surface like a record player needle, the tip hovers just a single atom's width above it.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2024

She slipped the record out of its cardboard sleeve and placed it on the record player, then carefully lowered the needle onto the vinyl.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez