Radio

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɹeɪdiˌəʊ/

Definitions

1. An electronic device that receives and transmits electromagnetic waves to broadcast or receive sound signals, or the medium of mass communication using such technology
2. An apparatus designed to capture and emit electromagnetic waves for distributing audio content, along with the field of communication that utilizes this equipment
3. A device capable of converting electromagnetic signals into sound for entertainment purposes, as well as the means of transmitting information via these signals

Etymology: "Radio" is a clipping of "radiotelegraphy," the term for sending telegraph messages through the air by electromagnetic waves rather than along wires. The longer word was built from "radio-," from Latin "radius" meaning ray or spoke of a wheel, and Greek "tele-" meaning far off, combined with "-graphy," writing. So the short form carries the idea of a ray reaching across distance, and it was the original, telegraphic sense that the shortened word first stood for. Over time the clipped form slipped free of its parent. Once the technology moved from sending coded dots and dashes to carrying speech and music, people stopped thinking of the word as a shortened telegraph term and began using it for the receiver in the living room. The noun grew to name the broadcast medium itself, and the verb followed, meaning to send a message by radio.

Synonyms: broadcast, transmission, wireless, wireless communication, audio broadcast

Antonyms: silence, quiet, deafening, mute, stillness