karaoke

noun

kar·​a·​o·​ke ˌker-ē-ˈō-kē 

ˌka-rē-,

also

kə-ˈrō-kē  ˌkä-rä-ˈō-(ˌ)kā 

: a device that plays instrumental accompaniments for a selection of songs to which the user sings along and that records the user's singing with the music

a karaoke machine

also : a form of entertainment involving the use of such a device (as in a bar)

Examples of karaoke in a Sentence

That bar has karaoke on Saturday night.

Recent Examples on the Web

Grand Central also has karaoke on some Saturday nights, Harwell said. —Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024

Ronin It may be set in Milan’s busy Chinatown, one of the largest Chinese communities in Europe, but Ronin is all about Japanese cuisine and subculture, with an izakaya bar, a Japanese grill, and private karaoke rooms. —Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2024

Swank won her first Oscar for playing Brandon Teena, a real-life transgender man who falls in love with a karaoke singer (Chloë Sevigny) but is the victim of a brutal hate crime. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024

On March 9 a handful of the region’s s-tier vendors will be taking over Chinatown’s Central Plaza from 6 p.m. to midnight with a la carte dishes, while live programming and activities will include a mahjong arena, DJ sets, martial arts demos, karaoke and more. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024

In France, elaborate buffets featuring attractions such as koi ponds and karaoke have lately become popular. —Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024

There are often live performances from K-pop groups like Black Swan and even street karaoke. —Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024

Watch Japanese cultural demonstrations, or belt out a song at the karaoke station. —Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024

While slowing down slightly in some — downloads by about 10.8%, streaming by about 7.6% — the duo’s long-running hit continues to rule the latter metric plus video views and karaoke this week. —Billboard Japan, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from kara empty + ōke, short for ōkesutora orchestra

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

karaoke

noun

kar·​a·​o·​ke ˌkar-ē-ˌō-kē  kə-ˈrō-kē 

: a device that plays music to which the user sings along and that records the user's singing with the music