Definition

1. Noun:
   • A physical audio storage medium: A "phonograph record" is a flat, circular disc, traditionally made of vinyl, with an inscribed, continuous spiral groove. Sound is recorded onto and reproduced from this groove by a stylus (needle) tracking along it as the disc rotates on a turntable.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • My grandfather's collection of old phonograph records includes many jazz classics.
  • Before digital music, the phonograph record was the primary format for home listening.
  • The artist released a limited-edition phonograph record for their latest album.

Advanced Usage

• "to cut a phonograph record": To master or produce a physical record.
  • The band went into the studio to cut their first phonograph record.
• "phonograph record album": A set of multiple records or a single record housed in a sleeve, containing a collection of songs.
  • The box set is a phonograph record album containing their complete works.

Variants and Related Words

• Record (n): A common, shortened form for "phonograph record".
  • I bought the new record today.
• Vinyl (n): A modern, informal synonym for a phonograph record, referencing the material.
  • She prefers the warm sound of vinyl.
• LP (Long Play) (n): A type of phonograph record designed for extended playback, typically 33⅓ revolutions per minute (RPM).
• Single (n): A type of phonograph record containing one or two songs, typically 45 RPM.
• Turntable (n): The rotating platform on which a phonograph record is played.

Synonyms

• Gramophone record: A synonym more common in British English.
• Disc (or Disk): A general term for a flat, circular object, often used for phonograph records.
• Platter: A colloquial term used by audio enthusiasts for a phonograph record.

Related Phrases

• To spin a record: To play a phonograph record on a turntable.
  • The DJ will spin records all night.
• Record needle / Stylus: The small, pointed component that tracks the groove of a phonograph record.
• Record groove: The spiral indentation on the surface of a phonograph record that contains the audio information.

Related Idioms

• "Like a broken record": Describing someone who repeats the same thing over and over.
  • He keeps complaining about the same issue; he sounds like a broken record.
• "Off the record": Not for publication or official attribution. (Note: This idiom relates to the concept of a "record" as documentation, not directly to the object, but is a common homographic phrase.)
  • The official told me, off the record, that the policy would change.

Noun

1. sound recording consisting of a disk with a continuous groove; used to reproduce music by rotating while a phonograph needle tracks in the groove