Microphone
/ˈmaɪ.krəˌfoʊn/noun
A device that converts sound waves into electrical signals.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 19th century from Greek mikros (“small”) + phōnē (“voice, sound”), and phōnē also lives in words tied to speech, sound, and even the study of voices.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mikros
“small”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phōnē
“voice, sound”
1820s
English
microphone
“an instrument for making faint sounds audible”
Late 19th Century
English
microphone
“a device for converting sound into electrical signals”
Modern English
English
microphone
“a device used to amplify or record sound”
Explore more surprising origins