record

There are a few different meanings for the word "record" when it’s used as a noun. In the first set of examples, a record is an athletic performance that is better than anyone else’s.

• How many world records were broken during the Olympic Games in London?
• Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa set a new world record to win the 100-meter breaststroke.
• Dana Vollmer of the United States broke a swimming record in the 100-meter butterfly.

A record could also be in the form of information:

• Leonard’s medical records show that he has a history of heart problems.
• The school doesn’t have a record showing that Sarah attended there.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigations (The F.B.I.) keeps records on people whom they suspect are involved in criminal activity.

A record is also a round disk that was once popular for playing music.

• The Beatles had many hit records during the 1960’s.
• Vinyl records are still available at many music shops.
• Tina’s group wants to make a record, so they’re planning a trip to Nashville.
• Before CDs and digitized music, there were record players that played records. Nowadays, the word "turntable" is used in place of "record player."

record & record player

When this word is a verb, the accent on the second syllable:

record

• She records music with her computer.
• Do you know how to use your phone for recording video?
• You should record yourself speaking English and listen to it to see how much you have improved.

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This page was first published on July 30, 2012. It was updated on March 18, 2015.