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

Cell phones, cameras, tablets, laptops and audio recorders cannot be used within 100 feet of a voting station. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram Staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 May 2026

According to the Riley County recorder of deeds, the building is two stories tall and contains 70 beds. —Eleanor Nash updated May 1, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026

Meanwhile, the county auditor-controller, clerk-recorder and two Superior Court judges are running without an opponent. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026

Another instrument popular with visitors is the Campbell-Stokes recorder, used to measure hours of bright sunshine. —Laura Martin Agudelo, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

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