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 botnet, which uses hacked digital video recorders and WiFi routers, was used to target as many as 18,000 victims, the DOJ added. —Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

No cameras, cellphones or video recorders allowed. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025

The sixth-year Kansas quarterback had a multitude of reporters entrenched around him, holding either black and gray recorders or iPhones displaying the latest version of a recording app. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2025

The members representing districts and the Denver mayor, the clerk and recorder, and the auditor are elected through a run-off system. —Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 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