phono

1 of 2

noun

pho·​no ˈfō-(ˌ)nō How to pronounce phono (audio)
plural phonos

phono-

2 of 2

combining form

: sound : voice : speech
phonograph
phonology

Examples of phono in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
This means the turntable can be connected to any amplifier or powered speaker without the need for extra phono amplification or boxes. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 Phono Preamps Get a phono amp to hook up that turntable. Parker Hall, WIRED, 15 Sep. 2024 Should cabled gear still feature in your life, the Evo One sports HDMI eARC for connection to a big-screen TV, a moving-magnet phono stage for vinyl lovers and a line input for other analog sources. New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2024 The turntable can also be upgraded when the user wants with the option of upgrading the cartridge or using an external phono stage. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The tonearm base and headshell have been redesigned for improved tracking and reduced resonance, and the phono cartridge has a replaceable stylus. Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2023 This Swiss Army knife of an integrated amplifier produces remarkable sound in a design that combines Bluetooth streaming with a sophisticated phono stage. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 18 June 2023 Because cartridges require an additional capacitive or resistive load to achieve ideal frequency response, Western Electric offers a variety of phono termination plugs to optimize MM and MC performance based on the cartridge manufacturer’s specification. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 18 June 2023 The phono setting delivers the unaltered signal from the phono cartridge, which must be used with a phono preamp or the phono input of a receiver or amplifier. Star Tribune, 31 July 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

by shortening

Combining form

borrowed from Greek, combining form from phōnḗ "sound made by something living, voice, speech, utterance," probably going back to Indo-European *bhoh2-neh2, o-grade derivative, with a suffixal -n-, from the verbal base *bheh2- "speak, say" — more at ban entry 1

Note: Greek phōnḗ has been compared with Old English bēn "prayer, petition, supplication," Old Icelandic bæn "prayer, request" (from *bhoh2-ni- or *bheh2-ni-) and Armenian ban "speech, word, thing, precept" (from *bheh2-ni-). An alternative hypothesis sees it as proceeding from Indo-European hu̯oneh2 "sound," and hence cognate with Old Church Slavic zvonŭ "sound, echo," Albanian—Tosk dialects "voice," Gheg dialects zâ, though this would require a lengthened grade hu̯ōneh2 to produce the Greek word.

First Known Use

Noun

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of phono was in 1903

Dictionary Entries Near phono

Cite this Entry

“Phono.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phono. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

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