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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Get an audience and then record the workshop with an MP3 recorder or on Zoom. —Henry Devries, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023

Varvel was the chief deputy when Fontes served as county recorder. —Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 2 Dec. 2022

Joan Lopez, the clerk and recorder in charge of elections in Arapahoe County, Colo., is still receiving violent threats connected to the 2020 election two years later. —Time, 4 Nov. 2022

In 2018, Strabone ran unsuccessfully to be San Diego County’s assessor, recorder and clerk. —Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2022

Sweeney Bell is finishing her last term as county recorder in addition to running for clerk. —The Indianapolis Star, 30 Aug. 2022

Toward the end of her life, Ms. Piñon began to dictate her work into a recorder. —Ana Ionova, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2022

But neither plane was equipped with a flight-data recorder. —Dallas News, 1 Dec. 2022

Tina Peters, a county recorder in Mesa County, Colorado, was indicted in May 2021 on charges associated with a security breach in her office. —Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing recorder

• cockpit voice recorder
• strip-chart recorder
• flight data recorder
• flight recorder
• videotape recorder
• tape recorder
• wire recorder
• videocassette recorder

• cockpit voice recorder
• strip-chart recorder
• flight data recorder
• flight recorder
• videotape recorder
• tape recorder
• wire recorder
• videocassette recorder

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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