Stereo
/ˈstɛəri.oʊ/noun
A system of recording or reproducing sound using two or more channels to create a sense of spatial depth.
Did you know?Stereo comes from Greek stereos, meaning “solid” or “firm,” the same root behind words like stereolithography and stereochemistry—because the idea was always about something having real, three-dimensional substance.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
στερεός (stereós)
“solid, firm, stiff”
Late Latin
Latin
stereus
“solid, firm”
18th Century
French
stéréo-
“combining form meaning solid or three-dimensional”
20th Century
English
stereo
“short for stereophonic sound”
Modern English
English
stereo
“a sound system using separate channels to create spatial effect”
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