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

Examples of recorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Production worked with Mercedes AMG, the Formula 1 team and their engineers to build real race cars that could carry the film’s camera equipment — recorders and transmitters. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 June 2025

Maricopa County recorder Justin Heap sued his fellow Republicans on the county's board of supervisors on Friday, after a monthslong battle over which powers his position holds. —Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025

The committee -- which will have access to all recorders on the flight, maintenance records, the air traffic control log and witness testimonies -- will conduct site inspections and interviews, and is expected to publish its report within three months, the ministry noted. —Megan Forrester, ABC News, 13 June 2025

The result of each ballot are counted out loud and recorded by three cardinals designated as recorders. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing recorder

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

Rhymes for recorder

• camcorder
• disorder
• reorder
• suborder
• transborder
• boarder
• border
• corder
• order
• warder

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