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 recorder oversees how elections are run within the county, and previous politicians in the position have pushed massive changes to the way their county votes. —Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

In Yuma, the county recorder’s office was handing out voter-registration forms. —Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2024

The system is compatible with a wide range of video cameras or audio recorders thanks to its choice of USB-C, Apple Lightning or analog 3.5mm outputs. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

The interim status for city clerk/recorder will last until a municipal election can be held in 2026 for city clerk. —Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 29 Oct. 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