recorder

noun

re·​cord·​er ri-ˈkȯr-dər 

1

a

: the chief judicial magistrate of some British cities and boroughs

b

: a municipal judge with criminal jurisdiction of first instance and sometimes limited civil jurisdiction

2

: one that records

3

: any of a group of wind instruments ranging from soprano to bass that are characterized by a conical tube, a whistle mouthpiece, and eight finger holes

Illustration of recorder

• recorder 3

Examples of recorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The acoustic album, which was recorded on a 4-track recorder in his New Jersey bedroom without the E Street Band, tells the stories of different individuals living on the edge and has been widely heralded by critics as some of the musician's best work. —EW.com, 28 Oct. 2024

Pima County voters can track their ballot on the county recorder’s website. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024

The deed must be signed, notarized, and registered with a local government authority, such as the county recorder’s office, to be legally valid. —True Tamplin, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024

Kristofferson studies the recorder as if its rudeness had restored his own good humor. —Tom Burke, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing recorder

• cockpit voice recorder
• flight data recorder
• flight recorder
• strip-chart recorder
• tape recorder
• videocassette recorder
• videotape recorder
• wire recorder

Kids Definition

recorder

noun

re·​cord·​er ri-ˈkȯrd-ər 

1

: a person or device that records

2

: a musical instrument consisting of a usually wooden tube with finger holes and a whistle mouthpiece

Legal Definition

recorder

noun

re·​cord·​er

1

: a judge of a municipal court

2

: a public officer charged with making a record of writings or transactions (as conveyances)

a recorder of deeds