nickelodeon

noun

nick·​el·​ode·​on ˌni-kə-ˈlō-dē-ən 

1

: an early movie theater to which admission usually cost five cents

2

: jukebox

Examples of nickelodeon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner – the Warner brothers – had been pioneer theater owners during the nickelodeon era, the period from roughly 1890 to 1915, when movie exhibition shifted from traveling shows to permanent, storefront theaters called nickelodeons. — Matthew Jordan, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025

By 1908 roughly 8,000 nickelodeons—five‑cent storefront theaters—ran nonstop shows. — Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2025

Movies always follow technology — from nickelodeons to iPhones. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025

The decor includes an old-fashioned nickelodeon as well as a bathroom with Art Deco design. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from nickel + -odeon (as in melodeon music hall)

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nickelodeon

• cambodian
• collodion
• custodian

Kids Definition

nickelodeon

noun

nick·​el·​ode·​on ˌnik-ə-ˈlōd-ē-ən 

1

: an early movie theater charging five cents for admission

2

: jukebox