Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

console

/ˈkɑn.soʊl/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.08 in modern English

Syllables: con-sole
IPA: /ˈkɑn.soʊl/

9

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A stand-alone cabinet designed to stand on the floor; especially, one integrated with home entertainment equipment, such as a TV or stereo system.

noun

A desk-like cabinet, table, or stand upon which controls, instruments, and displays are mounted.

noun

An instrument with displays and an input device that is used to monitor and control an electronic system.

noun

An instrument with displays and an input device that is used to monitor and control an electronic system.

noun

An instrument with displays and an input device that is used to monitor and control an electronic system.

noun

A storage tray or container mounted between the seats of an automobile.

noun

An ornamental member jutting out of a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, often S-shaped.

noun

Example Sentences

"The film's music blared from the console."
"The operating console of the new Glasgow Central cabin is divided into four sections, each at an angle to each other and each of which is normally under one signalman's control; [...]"
"Consoles continue to gain traction in the video game market."
"I rarely play FPS on a PC these days. I'm lazy and it's just so much easier to stick on Halo or Modern Warfare 2 on a console. Plus after a day in front of a PC I don't necessarily want to spend an evening in front of one."
"Could you put my phone in the centre console?"
"On an attractive console with two winged putti as supporters [...] is a marriage coat of arms : Dexter, the Paoli arms : Gules (base), a bend azure charged with five lilies gules, and or (chief); Sinister, the[…]"

Etymology

Borrowed from French console (“bracket”, noun), from consoler (“to console, to comfort”, verb). Sense of “bracket” either due to a bracket alleviating the load, or due to brackets being decorated with the Christian figure of a consolateur (“consoler”), itself perhaps a pun on the first sense (alleviating load). Originally used for the bracket itself, then for wall-mounted tables (mounted with a bracket), then for free-standing tables placed against a wall. Use for control system dates at least to 1880s for an “organ console”; use for electrical or electronic control systems dates at least to 1930s in radio, television, and system control, particularly as “mixer console” or “control console”, attached to an equipment rack. This was popularized in computers by mainframes such as the IBM 704 (1954) in terms such as “operator’s console” or “console typewriter”, and then generalized to any attached equipment, particularly for user interaction. The automotive sense harks back to earlier use as “support”.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: console, cōnsōlor, *selh₂-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkɑn.soʊl/
British English: /ˈkɒn.səʊl/

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

consoles (plural) consoles (present, singular) consoling (participle, present) consoled (participle, past) consoled (past)

Derived Forms

consolelike consolette consolitis consolization consolized microconsole multiconsole subconsole consolable consolation consolatory consolement

Phrases

center console centre console console converter console game console radio console steel guitar console steel guitarist console table

Frequently Paired Words

corbel terminal solace consol consul council counsel

Synonyms

comfort solace besoothe cheer console soothe cabinet console table

Rhymes With

whole control role goal lol soul roll hole bowl coal poll sole

Questions

How do you pronounce console?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɑn.soʊl/.
What does console mean?: A stand-alone cabinet designed to stand on the floor; especially, one integrated with home entertainment equipment, such as a TV or stereo system.
Where does console come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce console

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “console”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɑn.soʊl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “console”.
Repeat and practice — Say “console” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.