stereo

noun ste·reo \ ˈster-ē-ˌō , ˈstir- \

Updated on: 20 Apr 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

Attendees can bring electronics to be recycled, including computers, keyboards, laptops, printers, televisions, stereos, cell phones, microwave ovens and Christmas lights.

— joy davis, Aurora Beacon-News, "Fermilab in Batavia to host annual STEM Career Expo," 12 Apr. 2018
Has upgraded retro stereo, embroidered floormats and gauge cluster.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "You can buy Adam Vinatieri's 1971 Dodge Charger," 3 Apr. 2018
While Mouse on Mars will bring a spatial installation to some of their upcoming festival dates, most of these performances will have to be in stereo.

— terence cawley, BostonGlobe.com, "At MIT, Mouse on Mars immerses listeners in ‘surround sound on steroids’," 22 Mar. 2018
There’s a sizable storage compartment in the cargo area, but in models with the optional Bose stereo, a subwoofer takes up some of the space.

— michael simari, Car and Driver, "2018 Nissan Pathfinder," 22 Mar. 2018
Aftermarket stereos, the kind with giant, finned boxes and their own finger-thick wires directly wired to the battery, can be.

— mike allen, Popular Mechanics, "How to Stop Car Battery Drains," 26 Jan. 2017
The new space is jam-packed with records, CDs, and cassettes — along with an interesting collection of turntables, speakers, and other used stereo equipment for sale.

— jeremy hallock, star-telegram, "Doc's Records returns in a funky space at The Foundry that's a perfect fit | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 23 Mar. 2018
Taken were a stereo, two Milwaukee circular saws, two Milwaukee drills, four batteries, sunglasses and a garage-door opener remote control.

— bob dohr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Franklin police report: Woman reports fraud after 'buying' teacup Yorkshire terrier online," 7 Feb. 2018
Because holding up a tiny pink Beats Pill stereo just doesn't have the same effect.

— redbook editors, Redbook, "15 Ways Dating Now is Different Than Dating in the 80s," 15 July 2015

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

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 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
Both phones now have stereo speakers, a boost from last year’s model.

— lisa eadicicco, Time, "Review: Samsung Didn't Change Much With the Galaxy S9 — And That's Great," 8 Mar. 2018
They're packed with top-notch cameras and stereo capabilities even rockstars would find impressive.

— madeline buxton, refinery29.com, "Meet The iPhone X's Biggest Rival: Samsung's Galaxy S9+," 8 Mar. 2018
In fact, the HomePod can be linked to other HomePods to use them as stereo speakers.

— don reisinger, Fortune, "Apple CEO Tim Cook Explains Why You'll Want the HomePod," 24 Jan. 2018
Housed in aluminum, the scratch-resistant Ultra Game Boy will have a backlit LCD display with full RGB spectrum capability, a pair of stereo speakers, left and right audio-out connections, and a USB-C charging port.

— rachel tepper paley, Bloomberg.com, "Eight Retro Gadgets That Got Modern Updates," 18 Jan. 2018
Amazon’s medium-sized tablet has more power, a longer-lasting battery, twice the storage, stereo speakers, and a bigger, sharper display.

— jeffrey van camp, WIRED, "Review: Amazon Fire 7 (2017)," 18 Oct. 2017
Those include waterproof construction that's a first for an iPhone, stereo speakers, an all-new home button (which is not a button), and lack of standard audio jack.

— stefan vazharov, Esquire, "Review: The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus," 21 Sep. 2016

First Known Use of stereo

1876

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