contact mike
- noun
- Specialized
:
micrófono de contacto
- The musician attached a contact mike to the guitar to capture subtle body vibrations.
Examples
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Using a contact mike, engineers could detect hidden mechanical faults in the machine.
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She experimented with a contact mike on a window to record environmental sounds.
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The musician used a contact mike to capture the unique sound of the violin.
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Can you pass me the contact mike?
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The musician attached a contact mike to the guitar to capture subtle body vibrations.
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She experimented with a contact mike on a window to record environmental sounds.
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Using a contact mike, engineers could detect hidden mechanical faults in the machine.
Synonyms
194
3.5
A small object that changes sound into electricity for recording or making sound louder
A small device that touches an object to record its vibrations
A small pointed microphone that you press against a wall to hear sounds in the next room
A small microphone placed against a wall that picks up sounds on the other side
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a microphone that picks up sound through direct contact' is directly derivable from combining 'contact' (physical touch) with 'mike' (microphone). This noun+noun descriptive compound follows normal compositional patterns and would be readily interpretable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
The noun contact mike comes from how it is used: contact means it touches a surface and mike is short for microphone, so you put it on a guitar, window, or machine to pick up vibrations directly instead of sounds in the air. So, it means 'a microphone you attach to an object to record its vibrations rather than sounds in the air'.