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jukebox

/ˌdʒukˈbɑks/
/ˈdʒukbɒks/
IPA guide

Other forms: jukeboxes

A jukebox is a machine that plays a song when you insert money. Jukeboxes are pretty rare these days, but you might come across one at, say, an old-fashioned diner.

In the 1930s, a juke was a small restaurant where people could eat, drink, and dance. "Juking" meant dancing and getting rowdy. When a music vending machine came along, people called it a jukebox because they could crank up the music and really let loose. Originally, jukeboxes were large, cabinet-style devices that played vinyl records; you could drop in a dime or a quarter and choose your favorite song. These days, jukeboxes have gone digital.

Definitions of jukebox
  1. noun
    a cabinet containing an automatic record player; records are played by inserting a coin
    synonyms: nickelodeon
    see moresee less
    type of:
    phonograph, record player
    machine in which rotating records cause a stylus to vibrate and the vibrations are amplified acoustically or electronically
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