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gun microphone

gun microphone

7.5
A long, thin microphone that you point at a sound to record it from far away
  • noun
  • /ɡʌn ˈmaɪkrəˌfoʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : micrófono direccional
  • The sound engineer used a gun microphone to capture dialogue from across the street.

Examples

  • Due to its narrow pickup pattern, the gun microphone minimizes background noise effectively.

  • A gun microphone is ideal for wildlife recording because it can pick up distant sounds.

  • The director used a gun microphone to capture the dialogue.

  • Have you ever seen a gun microphone in action?

  • A gun microphone is ideal for wildlife recording because it can pick up distant sounds.

  • Due to its narrow pickup pattern, the gun microphone minimizes background noise effectively.

  • The sound engineer used a gun microphone to capture dialogue from across the street.

Synonyms

directional microphone
vsgun microphone
  • Specialized
1 4.1

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

is the specialized barrel-shaped directional form used for distant recording
shotgun mike
vsgun microphone
  • Specialized
7.7

A long, narrow microphone that records sound clearly from one direction

is the long barrel highly directional form aimed to capture distant sound
shotgun microphone
vsgun microphone
  • Specialized
6.7

A long narrow microphone that picks up sound from one direction, often from far away

is the long barrel design used to record distant sound by aiming at the source
gun mike
vsgun microphone
  • Informal
8.2

A long, narrow microphone that picks up sound from far away in one direction

is defined by a barrel shape that lets one record distant sound by aiming
directional mike
vsgun microphone
  • Informal
5.1

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

is more specific, adding a long barrel for recording at a distance

How Directional

parabolic reflector
  • Specialized
8.0
gun microphone
  • Specialized
7.5
directional microphone
  • Specialized
1 4.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

gun + microphone

The noun-noun compound combines 'gun' (an object associated with aiming/pointing and a barrel shape) with 'microphone', so a learner can infer a microphone that is aimed/pointed or barrel-shaped to capture distant sound. This compositional, physical-metaphor mapping is straightforward and follows common compound patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely understand the intended meaning.

Etymology

Gun microphone comes from the device's long, tube-like shape that looks like a gun and from how you point it straight at a sound to pick it out from far away. That's why the term means 'a microphone you aim to record sounds from a distance'.