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

The investigation into Morgan stemmed from a legislative audit that found Mount Ida's mayor and recorder/treasurer were paid a total of $108,684 more than they were entitled to in 2024 and part of 2025. —Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025

On Wednesday, investigators recovered the plane’s black boxes — the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder — which could hold crucial information about what led to the disaster. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025

This marks the latest in a series of lunar impact observations by Fujii, who has become one of the leading recorders of such events. —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Hidden inside the roulette table was a secret recorder, which captured everything. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 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