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

But not like this—not with a recorder on. —Aliya S. King, VIBE.com, 6 Dec. 2025

Malecót didn’t reveal the sales price, but according to the San Diego County recorder’s office, his two Turquoise Street parcels sold for $7 million. —Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025

Experts say further developments such as cockpit video recorders and real-time data streaming are needed. —Erin Black, CNBC, 30 Nov. 2025

The two-story Victorian constructed of red brick housed the offices of the sheriff, recorder, treasurer, courtrooms and jail. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 21 Nov. 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