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Glite Dictionary
cardioid mike

cardioid mike

7.0
A microphone that picks up sound mainly from the front and sides, reducing background noise
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑrdioʊɪd maɪk/
  • Informal
translation icon : micrófono cardioide
  • She set up a cardioid mike to capture the singer’s voice with minimal room echo.

Examples

  • The recording engineer recommended using a cardioid mike to reduce background noise during the interview.

  • Most podcasts rely on a cardioid mike for its ability to focus on the speaker.

  • The cardioid mike picked up my voice clearly.

  • I bought a new cardioid mike for recording.

  • Most podcasts rely on a cardioid mike for its ability to focus on sound from the front and sides.

  • She set up a cardioid mike to capture the singer's voice with minimal surrounding noise.

  • The recording engineer suggested a cardioid mike to clearly isolate the interviewee's voice.

Synonyms

cardioid microphone
vscardioid mike
  • Specialized
6.1

A microphone that picks up sound mostly from the front and sides, reducing sound from the back

is the same directional pattern focusing on front and sides rather than rear
directional mike
vscardioid mike
  • Informal
5.1

A microphone that mostly picks up sound from one direction to reduce background noise

is more specific about front and side sensitivity and heart-shaped pickup

How Directional

shotgun mike
  • Specialized
7.7
directional mike
  • Informal
5.1
cardioid mike
  • Informal
7.0

Surface Forms

cardioid mike singular
cardioid mikes plural

Morphology

cardioid + mike

The compound is directly compositional: 'cardioid' denotes a heart-shaped pickup/curve and 'mike' denotes a microphone, so together they indicate a microphone with a cardioid pickup pattern (sensitive to front and sides). This follows a regular noun–noun compounding pattern in English, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can reasonably infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The noun cardioid mike is named for a heart-shaped sound pattern: cardioid means 'heart-shaped' and the microphone hears best from the front and sides while ignoring noise from the back. That's why people use a cardioid mike to 'focus on the speaker' and 'reduce background noise'.