#audio

• To devoice — To deprive of sound, echo, or sonorous properties; to transform a voiced sound into a voiceless one by stopping the vibration of the vocal cords. In modern acoustic engineering, the term is used very rarely to describe the complete attenuation of sound emissions.
• Devoicing — The act of devoicing or deadening sound; the process of transforming a voiced sound into a voiceless one by stopping vocal cord vibration during articulation. In audio engineering, it describes the extreme attenuation of sound waves or the mitigation of resonance within an acoustic chamber.
• Ahlborn — A reference name in the electronic musical industry, associated with a famous manufacturing brand of classical digital organs and advanced sound simulation systems for churches. Devices of this type utilize complex structural sound-sampling technologies to replicate with microscopic fidelity the acoustics and timbre of traditional pipe organs.
• Alnico — A ferromagnetic alloy with superior magnetic properties, made from a structural composition of iron mixed with aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co), to which small percentages of copper or titanium may be added. This structural material is widely used in manufacturing high-power permanent magnets for audio loudspeakers, electric motors, industrial sensors, and microphones.
• Ampex recorder — A technical and commercial term integrated into television and broadcasting jargon to designate a professional studio tape recorder or a videotape recorder (VTR), a name derived from the famous American Ampex corporation (founded by Alexander M. Poniatoff). In a broader sense, it was used in the past to denote the process of magnetic recording of audio-video signals or the magnetic tape itself.
• Amplifier — An apparatus, electronic device, or technical assembly that increases the power, voltage, or intensity of an electrical, acoustic, or light signal received at the input, utilizing energy from an external source; as an adjective, it describes any element or factor that boosts or intensifies an effect, a state, or a physical or social phenomenon.
• Amplifier — A neologistic term adopted from international technical terminology (English / French) used to designate an electronic amplifier, a power station, or an electroacoustic device intended for increasing the amplitude of sound or electrical signals. In current musical jargon and the high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) audio equipment industry, the word is frequently used as such to specify amplification modules dedicated to guitars or professional sound systems.
• Stereo receiver — A complex high-fidelity electronic apparatus that structurally combines a radio receiver (tuner) and an audio power amplifier within a single chassis. This device allows selecting, receiving, and decoding radio stations broadcast over ultra-short or medium waves, while simultaneously ensuring signal amplification and its efficient distribution to a modular speaker system.
• Anacusis — Total, complete, and permanent loss of hearing in one or both ears, structurally caused by profound damage to the cochlea, the auditory nerve, or the cortical nerve centers in the temporal lobe. This clinical phenomenon differs from hypoacusis by the absolute absence of any functional residual hearing, depriving the patient of sound wave perception and requiring complex neuro-sensory rehabilitation strategies or cochlear implantation.
• Antiskating — A mechanism or device for compensating centripetal force applied to a turntable tonearm, designed to counteract the natural tendency of the stylus to be pulled toward the center of the vinyl record. In the fine mechanics of audio playback devices or certain precision horological instruments, this structural system applies a calibrated lateral counterforce (via weights, magnets, or springs), ensuring equal pressure on both walls of the groove, optimizing stereo playback, and preventing premature wear.
• Sound archive — A specialized collection or systematically organized repository comprising sound recordings, discs, magnetic tapes, phonograph cylinders, or digital audio files of historical, ethnographic, musical, or linguistic value. The primary purpose of this type of archive is to capture, restore, and preserve the oral and musical heritage of a community, providing an essential documentary source for folklore and dialectology researchers.
• Arrau (surname) — A famous surname in universal cultural history, notably borne by the renowned Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau (1903–1991), widely regarded as one of the greatest classical music performers of the 20th century. The name is recognized in musicology as a symbol of interpretive depth, impeccable technique, and absolute fidelity to the scores of Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms.
• Deafening — The act of deafening and its result; a physiological or accidental process through which hearing is temporarily or permanently lost; it also represents the destructive or disruptive acoustic effect generated by a high-intensity noise that exceeds the comfort threshold of the human ear.
• Audio description — A form of additional narration intended to make audiovisual works (films, theater plays, television shows) accessible to blind or visually impaired individuals; audio description. It consists of a voice narrator describing key visual elements (actions, facial expressions, settings, costumes) during natural pauses in dialogue.
• Listenable — Capable of being listened to or heard; having the quality of being clearly audible or receptive through the sense of hearing. In technological and digital contexts, the term describes an audio file, podcast format, or sound signal optimized for playback, whose technical features allow perfect comprehension by a user.
• Audio — Relating to sound, or to the reproduction, recording, or transmission of acoustic signals; belonging to the sound frequencies perceptible by the human ear. As a combining form (prefix), it serves to form numerous technological and media terms, designating components or digital formats focused on sound.
• Audiovisual — Relating simultaneously to the recording, transmission, reproduction, or processing of sound (audio) and image (video) signals; audiovisual. As a noun, it describes the equipment, digital format, or multimedia system integrating both components to provide a complete sensory experience.
• Audiovisual — Combining sound and visual elements for communication, information transmission, or entertainment; the totality of mass media means based on sound and image (television, radio, online video platforms). Although the combined form 'audiovizual' is registered, the hyphenated variant 'audio-vizual' is heavily used in older administrative documents, media contracts, and CNA licenses, not included independently in dexonline.
• Audiobook — An audio recording of a book's text read aloud by a narrator, an actor, or via speech synthesis technology; an audiobook. It is a digital format widely distributed via mobile apps or streaming platforms, enabling users to consume literature while multitasking.
• Audiobook — A digital or analog publishing format consisting of the audio recording of a book's text read aloud by a narrator or through speech synthesis; a linguistic calque of the term 'audiobook'. It is widely used to make culture accessible to visually impaired individuals, as well as a modern reading alternative for the general public.