Meaning & use
microphones
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“microphones” is a form of “microphone”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Plural of microphone: devices that pick up sound and turn it into electrical signals for recording, amplifying or broadcasting.
Grammar: Plural; the singular is a microphone.
Patterns
- microphones for something
- microphones on a stage
The band tested the microphones before the concert began.
Tiny microphones were clipped to the actors' collars.
Reporters held out their microphones as the mayor spoke.
Common combinations
- wireless microphones
- Wireless microphones let the singers move freely.
- set up microphones
- Technicians set up microphones around the drum kit.
- condenser microphones
- Studios often use condenser microphones for vocals.
- test the microphones
- We must test the microphones before the speech.
- switch off the microphones
- They switched off the microphones after the meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mics
- Mics is a casual short form used mostly in speech and by sound crews.
- mikes
- Mikes is an older, informal spelling of the shortened form, mostly in American usage.
- bugs
- Bugs are hidden microphones used for secret listening, so they are narrower and carry a spying meaning.
- audio pickups
- Audio pickups is technical and also covers devices for instruments.
Opposites
Word family
- microphone noun
- one such device
- mic noun
- short informal word for microphone
- telephone noun
- related device for sending sound over distance
- microphonic adjective
- relating to microphones, or picking up vibration noise
Commonly confused: microphones or megaphone?
microphones vs megaphone
A megaphone makes a voice louder acoustically with a cone, whereas a microphone converts sound into electrical signals.
Practice
At the conference, the staff placed ___ on every table so questions could be heard.
Choose one answer.
Microphones capture sound so everyone can hear. Megaphones are handheld cones and are not what staff would fix on tables.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “microphones”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.