Walkman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, portable audio device that plays cassette tapes for private listening during travel or leisure activities
2. A personal and mobile cassette playback machine designed to entertain users while they are walking or engaged in other activities
3. A compact device that allows individuals to listen to cassette tapes privately while moving about

Etymology: Sony's portable cassette player was a trademark before it was a common noun, and the name was built from parts that were already familiar. "Walk" and "man" were combined in the style of "Pac-Man" and similar playful coinages, giving a name that sounded like a companion for a stroll. The device itself was the sort of thing that made the name stick: small enough to carry on foot, with headphones that kept the music to the listener alone. Over time the brand name became a generic term, so that people began calling any portable cassette player a "walkman," much as "hoover" and "xerox" came to stand for entire categories of product. The word is now most often remembered as a cassette-era object, even though the trademark's influence outlived the tape format itself.

Synonyms: portable cassette player, music player, portable audio, tape player, headphone device