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 album is known as one of Springsteen's more personal outings, recorded on a four track recorder in the rocker's bedroom. —Michileen Martin, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

The album was recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 June 2025

His soul-searching resulted in the stark and soulful Nebraska, an acoustic album recorded on a 4-track recorder in his New Jersey bedroom. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 18 June 2025

The user opened up the discussion by sharing a photo of a flight passenger playing a wooden recorder while sitting in a window seat. —Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 9 June 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