Definition of the word phonograph

The word "phonograph" originated in the late 19th century to describe a device that could write and read sound waves. The term was coined by its French inventor, Charles Cros, in a 1887 article published in the Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences. The word is derived from the Greek words phōnē (φωνή), which means "sound," and graphe (γράφη), which means "written form." So, a phonograph is a device that can both write and read sound, thus graphing (γράφον), or writing (γραφή), sound (φωνή). Cros proposed using a wax cylinder as the medium for recording and playing back sound. He recognized that this would allow for the creation of sound recordings, which had not yet been possible with existing technologies. Edison, in his work on inventing the phonograph, is credited with coining the term "phonograph" when he secured a patent for his device in 1888. The term became widely used to refer to his invention, which used a cylinder covered in tin foil, affixed to a cylinder, with a needle and spring-wound motor to record and play back sound. By the turn of the 20th century, the phonograph was popularly known as the "talking machine" and was used for recording and playing back speeches, music, and other sound recordings. The term "phonograph" remains in use today to describe any device that can record and play back sound, although it is now more commonly referred to as an audio or sound recorder or player.