microphone

mi-cro-phone · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    An instrument for converting sound waves into electrical signals, used in recording, broadcasting, or amplifying sound.

  2. 2.

    A device used to capture audio input in computers, phones, or other electronic devices.

Forms

plural: microphones

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    microphone check — testing a microphone before use
  • •
    pass the mic/microphone — give someone else the opportunity to speak
  • •
    hot mic — a microphone that is on when the speaker believes it to be off
  • •
    drop the mic — to walk away after making a definitive statement

Related words

Antonyms: loudspeaker, speaker
See also: amplifier, audio, recording, speaker
Synonyms: mic, mike

Etymology

From Greek mikros ("small") + phone ("sound, voice"). First used in the 1670s to refer to a device for intensifying sounds, the modern meaning relating to electrical sound transmission dates from the 1870s.