Kinetoscope
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An early device for exhibiting motion pictures, creating the illusion of movement from a strip of perforated film bearing sequential images that is conveyed over a light source with a high-speed shutter.
"A paper-over-board book based on a new technology that its inventor, the author, calls “scanimation”: mimicking the effect of a kinetoscope, the pictures of animals, birds and fish seem to move with extraordinary naturalism."
- 2 a device invented by Edison that gave an impression of movement as an endless loop of film moved continuously over a light source with a rapid shutter; precursor of the modern motion picture wordnet
- 3 An instrument for illustrating the production of kinematic curves by the combination of circular movements of different radii.
Example
More examples"A paper-over-board book based on a new technology that its inventor, the author, calls “scanimation”: mimicking the effect of a kinetoscope, the pictures of animals, birds and fish seem to move with extraordinary naturalism."
Etymology
From kineto- + -scope.
Related phrases
More for "kinetoscope"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.