Gramophone

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: [ˈɡɹæ.məˌfəʊn]

Definitions

1. A historical apparatus that utilizes a needle and rotating disc to reproduce sound, commonly recognized for its association with early recorded music technology
2. An old-fashioned instrument that emits audio through a horn by reading grooves on a spinning disc, significant in the evolution of sound playback devices
3. A vintage device that recreates audio by converting grooves on a spinning disc into sound waves, playing an essential role in music history

Etymology: Emile Berliner, a German-American inventor, coined "Gramophone" in 1887 as a trademark for his new sound-recording machine, which was developed shortly after Thomas Edison's first phonograph. The name was built from two Ancient Greek words: "grámma," meaning "letter" or "written mark," and "phōnḗ," meaning "sound" or "voice." Put together, the name described a device that turned written grooves into sound. Berliner's choice was a deliberate joke on the phonograph's name, which combined the same "phōnḗ" with a different Greek root, "phonos"... Only the Greek "grámma" half of the new name set it apart, pointing to the flat disc of letter-like grooves rather than the cylinder Edison used. The trademark proved so successful that "gramophone" became a generic term for record players in British and other English usage, long after the brand itself faded from the market.

Synonyms: phonograph, record player, turntable, disk player