Technology / B2

MYKR-uh-fohn/ˈmaɪkrəfəʊn/

A microphone turns sound into an electrical signal: hold the microphone; a lapel microphone. Mic is the informal short form; speaker is the output. Do not tap it for emphasis in an oral. Mix-up: microscope is for tiny images (next entry); microwave is an oven (already in the dictionary). Do not write microphone for a camera.

Meaning

A device that turns sound into an electrical signal for recording or amplifying.

Examples

• “Hold the microphone still in the oral; do not tap it for emphasis.”
• “A radio microphone featured in the media practical, which is the recording sense.”

Good to know

a microphone; mic (informal); into the microphone. Output twin: speaker / loudspeaker. Trap: microscope / microwave. Orals, media, and music. Picks up sound, not a lens or an oven.

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