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

“The minute you can get a $99 VCR at Urban Outfitters, as you can with a record player, then the sky’s the limit.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

He powers his record player and the modest lighting in his tiny underground bunker using a hand-cranked generator.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 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

To explore these tiny realms, scientists turn to a scanning tunnelling microscope, which operates much like a record player.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2024

She chewed, swallowed, then pointed her fork at Becca and asked, "But if aliens do find it, won't they need a record player to play it on?"

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds