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• stereo
  stereo

  noun

  stereoscopic photography.
• stereo-
  stereo-

  a combining form borrowed from Greek, where it meant “solid”, used with reference to hardness, solidity, three-dimensionality in the formation of compound words.
• stereo.
  stereo.

  abbreviation

  stereotype.

stereo

¹ American  

[ster-ee-oh, steer-] / ˈstɛr iˌoʊ, ˈstɪər- /

noun

• stereos
  plural

1. stereoscopic photography.

2. a stereoscopic photograph.

3. stereophonic sound reproduction.

4. a system or the equipment for reproducing stereophonic sound.

5. Printing. stereotype.

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adjective

1. pertaining to stereophonic sound, stereoscopic photography, etc.

verb (used with object)

1. Printing. stereotype.

stereo- ² American  

especially before a vowel, stere-.

1. a combining form borrowed from Greek, where it meant “solid”, used with reference to hardness, solidity, three-dimensionality in the formation of compound words.

   stereochemistry; stereogram; stereoscope.

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stereo. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. stereotype.

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stereo ¹ British  

/ ˈstɛrɪəʊ, ˈstɪər- /

adjective

1. short for stereophonic stereoscopic

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noun

1. stereophonic sound

   to broadcast in stereo

2. a stereophonic record player, tape recorder, etc

3. photog

   1. stereoscopic photography

   2. a stereoscopic photograph

4. printing short for stereotype

stereo- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating three-dimensional quality or solidity

   stereoscope

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• stereos
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of stereo¹

First recorded in 1815–25; by shortening

Origin of stereo-²

From the Greek word stereós

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Explanation

A sound system with speakers that makes music seem to come from several directions at once—almost like it's all around you—is called a stereo. Your older brother should have set aside some money for food and rent instead of blowing his whole paycheck on a new stereo system. The kind of sound that's layered and three-dimensional is stereo sound, and the machine you use to play this type of recording is also called a stereo. The word is shorthand for stereophonic, which describes something recorded using two or more channels so that the sound seems to surround the listener and come from more than one source. You can also break this word into its Greek roots, stereo, "solid or three-dimensional," and phone, "voice."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stereo stereo- stereo. stereos

“Language isn’t always that important. When Olmo and Néstor argue over the stereo, you never really know if they actually understand each other through words or not.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

We learn that Mr. Margouleff is a kind of sonic perfectionist for whom even stereo is insufficient.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

"We only had stereo speakers, but the house shook because our friends were dancing so hard," says Pierson.

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026

"It gives us what you might call a stereo perspective -- two different vantage points simultaneously."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2026

I’d driven home in a trance, with the stereo off, trying not to cry.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

His most telling message is that the nation cannot help the "children of crisis" unless it understands them, and it cannot understand without discarding stereo- types.

From Time Magazine Archive

“I’ve witnessed the move from mono to stereo. Then came 4-track tape, which was bulky,” he said in 1990.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2020

We can't improve on this recommendation on Twitter: "Sounds like the third world war breaking out just above your stereo." @robinturner Aidan Moffat provides vocals on this beautiful, subtly devastating tale of dying romance.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 13, 2013

But few top executives really expect wives to conform to any stereo. typed image.

From Time Magazine Archive

“This one is stereo. Heterodyne. I assembled it myself.”

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

When the group disbanded in the early 1980s, Johnson was forced to take jobs working construction and selling stereos, according to the documentary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Among the items he packed were two or three wireless phones, multiple car stereos, and a bunch of Craftsman tools.

From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2026

His songs played in clubs and weddings, blaring from stereos at big parties and roadside tea stalls alike.

From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2025

Her songs spilled out of stores and car stereos.

From New York Times ● May 5, 2024

I have one of those car stereos that continues playing even after I shut off the engine.

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

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Related Words

• audio system
• radio
• sound system

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