phono

1 of 2

noun

pho·​no ˈfō-(ˌ)nō 

plural phonos

: phonograph

phono-

2 of 2

combining form

: sound : voice : speech

phonograph

phonology

Examples of phono in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The turntable can also be upgraded when the user wants with the option of upgrading the cartridge or using an external phono stage. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

The tonearm base and headshell have been redesigned for improved tracking and reduced resonance, and the phono cartridge has a replaceable stylus. —Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2023

This Swiss Army knife of an integrated amplifier produces remarkable sound in a design that combines Bluetooth streaming with a sophisticated phono stage. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 18 June 2023

Phono Preamps Get a phono amp to hook up that turntable. —Parker Hall, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2023

Because cartridges require an additional capacitive or resistive load to achieve ideal frequency response, Western Electric offers a variety of phono termination plugs to optimize MM and MC performance based on the cartridge manufacturer’s specification. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 18 June 2023

The phono setting delivers the unaltered signal from the phono cartridge, which must be used with a phono preamp or the phono input of a receiver or amplifier. —Star Tribune, 31 July 2020

Offering the advantages of an all-in-one system, the Nines feature Bluetooth connectivity, plus an integrated phono preamp, HDMI-ARC, digital optical, analog RCA and USB inputs. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2023

The signal profile for phono stages is set by the RIAA, the recording industry's big trade group. —Parker Hall, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

by shortening

Combining form

borrowed from Greek, combining form from phōnḗ "sound made by something living, voice, speech, utterance," probably going back to Indo-European *b^hoh₂-neh₂, o-grade derivative, with a suffixal -n-, from the verbal base *b^heh₂- "speak, say" — more at ban entry 1

Note: Greek phōnḗ has been compared with Old English bēn "prayer, petition, supplication," Old Icelandic bæn "prayer, request" (from *b^hoh₂-ni- or *b^heh²-ni-) and Armenian ban "speech, word, thing, precept" (from *b^heh₂-ni-). An alternative hypothesis sees it as proceeding from Indo-European *ǵ^hu̯oneh₂ "sound," and hence cognate with Old Church Slavic zvonŭ "sound, echo," Albanian—Tosk dialects zë "voice," Gheg dialects zâ, though this would require a lengthened grade *ǵ^hu̯ōneh₂ to produce the Greek word.

First Known Use

Noun

1903, in the meaning defined above