phonographic
Definition
Adjective: Relating to or characteristic of a phonograph, a device originally used for recording and reproducing sound.
Usage Examples
- (Cylinders used on a phonograph for sound recording.)
- (The industry involving phonographs and sound recordings.)
Advanced Usage
"phonographic recording": a sound recording made using a phonograph.
- The archive preserved rare phonographic recordings of folk songs. (Recordings made on a phonograph.)
"phonographic technology": the technical aspects of phonograph design and use.
- Early phonographic technology relied on mechanical rather than electronic methods. (The technology of phonographs.)
Variants and Related Words
Phonograph (n): the device itself, used for recording and playing back sound.
- Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. (The sound-reproducing machine.)
Phonography (n): the practice or art of using a phonograph; also, a system of shorthand writing.
- Phonography became a popular hobby in the late 1800s. (The use of phonographs.)
Synonyms
- Gramophonic: relating to a gramophone, a similar sound-reproducing device.
- Record-related: pertaining to sound recordings (though less specific).
Related Idioms
- "Phonographic memory": a rare, non-standard phrase sometimes used metaphorically to mean an extremely accurate memory, likened to a phonograph's ability to replay sounds exactly.
- She has a phonographic memory for musical pieces, able to recall every note. (A very precise memory.)
Etymology Note
- The word derives from "phonograph" (from Greek "sound" + "writing") plus the suffix , meaning "pertaining to." It is primarily a technical or historical term, as phonographs are now largely obsolete.