audio-
(ˈɔːdɪəʊ)
[Combining form, f. L. audī-re to hear + -o; cf. audiometer.]
I. audio-active a., of or pertaining to interactive language learning, esp. in a language laboratory, in which the student is able to listen and respond to course material through a headset linked to a tape recorder or teacher's console; audio-caˈssette, a cassette of audiotape; audio disc, a record or disc, esp. a compact disc, on which a sound recording has been made; audio-frequency, a frequency capable of being perceived aurally; abbrev. A.F., a.f.; audioˈgenic a., caused by sounds of high frequency, spec. of a seizure so induced; ˈaudiogram [see -gram], the diagram traced by an audiometer; audio-lingual a., pertaining to both listening and speaking (as opp. reading and writing), esp. with reference to the teaching and learning of language; hence audio-ˈlingualism, audio-ˈlingualist; also audio-ˈlingually adv.; audiˈology, the science or study of hearing; hence audiˈologist, one who specializes in audiology; ˈaudiophile [see -phil], a devotee of high-fidelity reproduction of sound (chiefly U.S.); ˌaudioˈspectrogram, a tracing or the like produced by an audiospectrograph; a diagram showing how the frequency components of a sound change with time; ˌaudioˈspectrograph, an instrument for analysing sound; a diagram traced by this instrument; ˌaudio-specˈtrometer (see quot. 1957); audio-visual a., pertaining to both hearing and vision, esp. of mechanical aids to teaching (see quot. 1959).
| 1963 AV Communication Rev. XI. 36/1 *Audioactive (adj.), listening-speaking practice; also facilities in which students are equipped with headphones, preamplifier, and microphone by means of which the student's voice is amplified and carried simultaneously to his own headphones as he speaks. 1964 J. B. Hilton Lang. Laboratory in School vi. 80 The headsets can be audio-active or not at the wish of the pupil. 1968 Jrnl. Assoc. Teachers of Russian XVII. 4 In an incredibly short period we have shifted the emphasis of our teaching from ‘traditional’ attitudes to an audio-active approach. 1975 D. L. Forrester in P. S. Green Language Laboratory in School 6 The student's situation is essentially the same as in the simplest audio-active lab. |
| 1971 Author LXXXII. 114 Instead of increasing investment in new books, or diversifying into *audio-cassettes,..they [sc. the publishers] should put their money into the places where the public goes for their wares. 1983 Listener 18 Aug. 34/3 Now you can get a music centre with two audio-cassette heads to facilitate the copying of cassettes as well as discs. |
| 1970 Audio Sept. 96/1 Some experts will..take the view that *audio disks made with the new techniques will exchange one set of problems for others. 1983 Fortune 21 Mar. 8/1 The digital audio disc player and its companion, the audio Compact Disc, are arriving in the U.S. |
| 1913 Proc. Inst. Radio Engin. I. 102 The *audio-frequency produced is equal to the difference in the fundamental oscillation frequencies. 1916 Wireless World Aug. 344 (title) The Design of the Audio Frequency Circuit of Quenched Spark Transmitters. 1918 W. H. Eccles Wireless Telegr. (ed. 2) 487 A.F. Abbreviation for ‘Audio Frequency’. 1919 E. W. Stone Elements of Radiotelegr. 17 Frequencies from 25 to 10,000 cycles per second are termed audio frequencies. 1936 Electronics Jan. 44/2 Resistance coupled a–f amplifiers. 1941 B.B.C. Gloss. Broadc. Terms 4 Audio-Frequency: Rate of oscillation corresponding to that of sound audible to the normal human ear (i.e. within the range of about sixteen cycles per second to about fifteen thousand cycles per second). 1943 Electronic Engin. XVI. 69 No single curve can be taken as universally representative of the distribution of speech energy throughout the audio frequency band. |
| 1941 C. T. Morgan & H. Waldman in Jrnl. Compar. Psychol. XXXI. 1 (title) ‘Conflict’ and *Audiogenic Seizures. 1959 Chambers's Encycl. XI. 334/1 These so-called audiogenic seizures..perhaps have more in common with epileptic convulsions than with neurotic manifestations as ordinarily understood. |
| 1930 Archives of Otolaryngology XII. 760 An *audiogram is a graphic representation of hearing capacity. 1945 Electronic Engin. XVII. 451 Audiograms, i.e. plots of hearing acuity against frequency, taken from a large number of deaf people. |
| 1960 N. Brooks Language & Lang. Learning 201 Audio-lingual. Since the words aural and oral cannot be dependably distinguished in spoken English, the term *audio-lingual is proposed instead. 1962 Mod. Lang. Jrnl. Nov. 307/2 If language teachers do not reincorporate an unobtrusive grammatical content into the audio-lingual method, they may..come to merit the appellation..‘little men with tape recorders’. 1977 D. M. Taylor et al. in H. Glass Lang., Ethnicity & Intergroup Relations iv. 100 The traditional grammar-translation methods and even the newer audio-lingual approaches..have generally proved less than satisfactory. 1984 Jrnl. Res. in Reading VII. 3 The role and influence of the audiolingual component on the learning process. |
| 1961 Hispania Mar. 148/2 Let us urge greater moderation in the assumptions and claims of *audio-lingualism. 1976 E. W. Stevick Memory, Meaning & Method x. 155 Audiolingualism sets the learner to work on prefabricated and neatly packaged meanings presented primarily as words of the native and target languages. 1979 Mod. Lang. Jrnl. Dec. 423/2 These trends—the post-World War II audiolingualism, the mentalistically oriented cognitivism, and..eclecticism—have been reflected in the way Hebrew has been taught in North American Hebrew schools. |
| 1961 Hispania Mar. 148/2 The oft-repeated claim of the *audio-lingualists that ‘language is speech; language is not writing.’ 1977 Language LIII. 503/2 S argues that neither the audio-lingualists nor the cognitivists are on the right track. |
| 1974 French Rev. XLVIII. 20 The George Sherer experiment..was to compare proficiency results between *audio-lingually and traditionally taught students. |
| 1947 Hallowell Davis Hearing & Deafness i. 4 ‘*Audiology’, meaning the science of hearing seems to be a useful name for this field. 1947 S. R. Silverman in Ibid. xiv. 363 In consultation with the clinical audiologist (a person trained in meeting problems of deafness) he [sc. the otologist] is prepared to suggest whatever measures are indicated. 1952 Lancet 15 Nov. 967/1 In clinical audiology the normal unit of intensity is the decibel. |
| 1951 High-Fidelity I. 4 (title) *Audio-Phile's Bookshelf. 1953 Electronic Engin. XXV. 306 An ‘audiophile’ whose desire is to achieve high quality reproduction. |
| 1968 McGraw-Hill Yearbk. Sci. & Technol. 56/2 (caption) *Audiospectrograms of three white-crowned sparrows, from a wild-caught bird [etc.]. 1978 Nature 31 Aug. 888/1 Rates for complete cycles of wing movement, consisting of two openings and two closings, were calculated from audiospectrograms. |
| 1954 Ohio Jrnl. Sci. LIV. 298 *Audio-spectrographs of the song of N. ensiger. Ibid. 303 A tape recording of the song of Neoconocephalus ensiger (Harris) was analyzed by means of an audio-spectrograph. 1962 Science Survey XVII. 278 The sounds must be recorded because only then can they be examined by the oscillogram and audio-spectrograph. |
| 1952 Benson & Hirsh in Jrnl. Acoust. Soc. Amer. XXIV. 453 (title) A simplified *audiospectrometer. 1957 New Scientist 9 May 26/2 The panoramic audiospectrometer shows the frequencies present in a sound at any given instant... A second type of audiospectrometer called the ‘Sonagraph’ graphs the variation in frequency with time for a part of the sound. |
| 1937 Townsend & Stewart (title) *Audio-visual aids for teachers. 1959 L. M. Harrod Libr. Gloss. (ed. 2) 26 Audio-visual aids, material such as gramophone records, tape recordings and various visual aids used as an adjunct to teaching. |
II. Independent use of
prec. as a quasi-n. used
attrib.: of or pertaining to frequencies within the range of audibility; relating to the reproduction, transmission, or reception of sound. Also
audio secretary, a secretary who does audio typing;
audio typist, one who types directly from material previously recorded (as on magnetic tape); hence
audio typing vbl. n. and ppl. a.| [1924 Gibson & Cole Wireless of To-day 11 Audio, within the limits of audition.] 1930 Proc. Inst. Radio Engin. XVIII. 159 If..the radio tubes obtain their grid and plate voltage from the same points supplying the first audio tube [etc.]. 1935 Discovery Sept. 277/2 They are providing ever better products and service to enable the listening public to get more enjoyment from the ‘audio’ programmes..and will be ready to cater for those who wish..to see such ‘video’ items as may become available. 1937 Ibid. Nov. 331 (caption) Audio Transmitter. 1943 Gloss. Terms Telecommunic. (B.S.I.) 3 Audio range, the range of frequencies audible to the normal human ear. 1948 Audio Visual Guide XIV. 7 (title) A brief survey of currently available audio equipment. 1958 Observer 20 Apr. 10/5 A closer understanding between audio engineers and musicians. 1959 Times 3 Sept. 14/1 The audio-typing pool. Ibid., Most kinds [of tape-recording machines] enable the employer to dictate letters into a hand microphone... With the help of another machine..an ‘audio-typist’ completes the process. 1960 Times 14 Jan. 19/4 Two audio channels—each with a bass ‘woofer’ and treble ‘tweeter’ to cover the extremely wide compass of stereo sound. 1962 H. E. Beecheno Introd. Bus. Stud. viii. 75 By audio-typing methods he can dictate material when he is free. 1966 Daily Tel. 19 Aug. 20/2 Nearly all studiously avoid the term ‘typing pool’. Instead, ‘audio room’ or ‘the typing service unit’ is preferred. 1968 Evening Standard 2 Dec. 12/6 (Advt.), Audio sec[retary] reqd. for super job with international manager. 1969 Times 5 Dec. 18/6 (Advt.), Audio secretary required by Executive of rapidly expanding Company of Consultants in Belgravia. 1977 Wandsworth Boro' News 7 Oct. 21/3 (Advt.), Solicitors require Audio Secretary for Partner. 1982 Financial Times 25 June 23/3 Legal-audio-secretaries can name their own price at the moment. |
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audiobook n. an audio recording of a reading of a book (typically a novel), produced commercially;
cf. talking book n. at
talking adj. Special uses.
| 1959 Amer. Lit. 31 367 The Best of Mark Twain. Read by Marvin Miller. St. Joseph, Mich.: *Audio Book Company. 1973 BCLA Reporter Dec. 17 Responsibility for fostering..use of audio books and special print materials, in and among the provinces..should be located in the federal government. 1995 Time Out 6 Dec. 60/3 The audiobook world has its own stars now with certain actors reappearing. |