Question

The word, __________ , was once a name brand that became the word used to describe a device that played music recordings.

A) Stereo
B) Phonograph
C) Turntable
D) Headphones

Answer 1

The word B) 'Phonograph' is the term that started as a brand name and eventually became associated with any device that could play music recordings. Thomas Edison patented it in 1877, and it shifted from business use to entertainment quickly. Headphones also gained popularity with the advent of personal audio devices like the Sony Walkman.

Step-by-step explanation:

The word that was once a name brand and became synonymous with a device that played music recordings is Phonograph. Invented by Thomas Edison in 1877, the phonograph was groundbreaking in its ability to both record and play back sound, using a stylus on a rotating disc or cylinder. While it had practical business uses, the phonograph quickly became a popular form of entertainment. Eventually, the term 'phonograph' became a generic term for similar music playing devices, an example of a brand name becoming commonly used for the general category of product.

It's worth noting that other consumer products resulting from new technology advancement included the handheld calculator, VCR, video arcades, microwave ovens, and the Sony Walkman, which popularized headphones as a personal audio device in the 1980s.