Origin of the word
In the context of audio, the word tweeter was first used during the mid twentieth century. It refers to a loudspeaker that is often used in high-fidelity systems for the reproduction of high-frequency sounds. Used in conjunction with a subwoofer and a crossover network, a tweeter is an integral part of a sound system. The term tweeter is derived from the word tweet, which is the name given to the shrill chirp, or warble, of a bird. Originating during the mid 1800s, the word itself is an imitation of the sound made by a small bird.
In its digital media context, tweeter refers to a person who posts messages or updates to the social media platform Twitter. The use of the term tweet was suggested in 2007 by Twitter founding developer Blaine Cook. The verb tweet and the noun tweeter began to be used in the mainstream media in 2008; they were added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013.
Examples
“Tweeters are the smallest drivers in the speaker and handle the high-range sound. Soft dome tweeters have a dome about half the diameter of a golf ball.” – The Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday 23rd August 2017: “Hi-fi speakers: Troublesome Tweeters.”
“Twitter has played host to one of the most captivating reality shows since Trump won the US presidential election in November 2016, and in the following nine months barely a day has gone by without the tweeter-in-chief firing out controversial 140-character missives to his 36 million followers.” – The International Business Times, Friday 18th August 2017: “Tweeter-in-chief Donald Trump is worth $2bn to Twitter, analyst calculates.”
“To her credit the tweeter, Becca Barad (whose LinkedIn page notes was the Green Fund co-chair of the Gonzaga University Student Body Association), did subsequently tweet out that the timeline ‘simplifies the history leading to the rally.’” – The College Fix, Tuesday 15th August 2017: “Educators waste no time pushing social justice lessons in wake of Charlottesville violence.”
Definition
1: the name given to a speaker or amplifier that creates, or reproduces, the high frequency sounds that a sound system makes
2: a person who makes contributions to, and writes posts for, the online social networking platform Twitter
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary.
