stereo

noun ste·reo \ ˈster-ē-ˌō , ˈstir- \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of stereo

plural stereos

1 : stereotype

[by shortening]

a : stereophonic reproduction

b : a stereophonic sound system

See stereo defined for English-language learners

See stereo defined for kids

Recent Examples of stereo from the Web

The AirPlay 2 update also allows two HomePods to connect via stereo pairing.

— valentina palladino, Ars Technica, "iOS 11.4 debuts today with AirPlay 2 multi-room audio support for HomePod," 29 May 2018
Another stopped to purchase a home stereo system out of the back of somebody's van.

— alessandra codinha, Vogue, "Seatbelt Psychic Puts A Celebrity Medium in the Driver's Seat," 11 July 2018
Beyond the things in an office, e-waste denotes refrigerators, toasters, washing machines, stereo systems, electric toothbrushes, and the sort of toys that do things on their own.

— peter ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "'E-waste': Getting grip on a growing global problem," 9 July 2018
Which means a single minute of high quality stereo sound could be stored for just under $100,000.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "The Rise of DNA Data Storage," 26 June 2018
Apple this week updated its iOS mobile operating system with a feature that lets two of its HomePod smart speakers be used in unison to create stereo sound.

— don reisinger, Fortune, "Apple's WWDC 2018 Promises Plenty of Software Talk—And Maybe Some iPads," 2 June 2018
This device works in combination with the Peel Smart Remote app to turn your iPhone into a universal remote control that can handle almost any television, stereo system, or another home-entertainment device.

— kim komando, Fox News, "9 clever ways to repurpose your old cell phone," 25 May 2018
The Sensorama included a body tilting chair and full stereo sound, projected 3D images and even released aromas over the course of the short films.

— daniel fernandez, Smithsonian, "This New Virtual Reality Experience Drops You In Hiroshima Right After It’s Been Bombed," 27 Apr. 2018
Tracking audio cues like changing engine pitch (to indicate speed), directional stereo sounds when the cars are turning, and whooshing sounds for passing obstacles can help generate a mental map for a course even when it can’t be seen.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "How blind players succeed at sports video games they’ve never seen," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stereo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of stereo

circa 1823

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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stereo

adjective

Definition of stereo

1 a : stereoscopic

b : produced by or as if by means of a stereotype

2 : stereophonic

See stereo defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of stereo from the Web

This interest ran the gamut from cars to stereo equipment, computers and even barbeque.

— courant.com, "Christopher W. Duarte," 1 July 2018
The update released this month adds HomePod stereo pairing and AirPlay 2 support.

— josie colt, WIRED, "All the Gear, Gadgets, and Apps We Loved in May," 31 May 2018
But one barometer never lies: the distinct boom of the speakers outfitted onto the cars driving down your block with windows open and stereo blaring.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ Is the Song of the Summer," 29 May 2018
Our review unit included 16GB of DDR4-2400MHz RAM, 256GB of storage in the form of a M.2 2280 PCIe SSD, stereo speakers, a Killer 1435 802.11ac 2×2 network adapter for both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a 75WHr battery.

— samuel axon, Ars Technica, "Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 review: Meet the child of Intel and AMD’s unholy union," 23 May 2018
The first step was to follow up on an old lead: stereo equipment that belonged to the victim's older brother, John-Paul Weidner, which was stolen from the Weidners' house at the time of the murder.

— kristine guerra, Indianapolis Star, "From the archives: Amy Weidner's 1989 cold-case murder solved by IMPD officer Bill Carter via Facebook," 17 Apr. 2014
Play some tunes: Mazda’s stereo sound remains excellent, about an A-, and among the best down here in the low end of the range.

— scott sturgis, Philly.com, "Mazda takes a good thing - its CX-5 - and tinkers with it," 17 Apr. 2018
This model has stereo speakers on the bottom (the iPad Pro has a better speaker configuration).

— samuel axon, Ars Technica, "2018 iPad review: Content creation with compromises," 6 Apr. 2018
The neighbors across the street have been blasting their stereo nonstop.

— Newsweek, "Amazing Photos of Bioluminescent Phytoplankton," 14 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of stereo

1876

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

STEREO Defined for English Language Learners

stereo

noun

Definition of stereo for English Language Learners

: a piece of electronic equipment that plays the radio, CDs, etc., and that uses two speakers for the sound
: a way of recording and playing back sound so that the sound comes from two directions