monauraladj.
/ˌmɒnˈɔːrəl/, /ˌmɒnˈɔːrl̩/, U.S. /ˌmɑnˈɔr(ə)l/ 1. Of or relating to the use of one ear only.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > sense organ > hearing organ > [adjective]
otic1657
aural1845
binaural1861
monaural1888
1888 Pop. Sci. Monthly May 87 Direction can not be appreciated by monaural observation.
1935 Brit. Jrnl. Psychol. 25 270 Differences in the time of arrival of sounds from a single source at the two ears, or differences in intensity,..are far smaller than the monaural or binaural thresholds for such time or intensity differences.
1955 Sci. News Let. 24 Sept. 204/3 Splitting sounds so that one ear hears it first is known as ‘monaural delay’. Its use by the Air Force and airlines promises better and clearer communications in the air.
1974 Audiology 13 432 (title) Minimum audible field curve for the cat (monoaural) compared to the minimum audible field curve for the man (binaural).
1989 Miller's Collectables Price Guide 1989–90 337/1 A monaural stethoscope, c1895.
2. Of sound recording and reproduction: involving only one channel, so that there is one output signal and the sound seems to come from a single source. Opposed to stereophonic.This term is now preferred to monophonic (monophonic adj. 3).
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > record > recording or reproducing sound or visual material > sound recording and reproduction > [adjective] > recorded by specific system
taped1892
phonographed1897
acoustic1926
acoustical1926
stereophonic1927
monaural1931
multitracked1931
binaural1933
multitrack1935
tape-recorded1951
telediphoned1952
stereo1954
multi-taped1955
monophonic1958
pretaped1958
mono1960
audiotaped1962
multichannel1962
quarter-track1962
Dolby1966
quadraphonic1968
tetraphonic1969
periphonic1970
quad1970
quadrasonic1970
Dolbyized1971
QS1972
Dolbyed1973
premix1977
quadro1977
1931 Jrnl. Acoustical Soc. Amer. Apr. 483 The fundamental difficulty is that we are at present restricted to monaural recording.
1951 Wireless World Mar. 85/1 Current radio broadcast and recording techniques are almost exclusively monaural, using a single microphone and transmission channel.
1968 Times 29 Nov. p. iv/7 In July, 1967, E.M.I. ceased to produce new classical recordings in the monaural form.
1990 Jrnl. Industr. Economics 39 170 Some argued that a ‘surround-sound’ field would sound richer and better than stereo.., just as stereo is generally superior to monoaural sound.
1993 Classic CD Oct. 62/4 Those not bothered by monaural sound should try Bernac's and Poulenc's splendid performance.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1888