demo
1 Americannoun
plural
demos-
a recording of a new song or of one performed by an unknown singer or singing group, distributed to disc jockeys, recording companies, etc., to demonstrate the merits of the song or performer.
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He does flooring and demo for a living.
verb (used with object)
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to try out or exhibit the use of (a product, process, or the like).
You can demo the game without downloading or buying it.
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to record (a song) to demonstrate the merits of the song or performer.
noun
plural
Demosnoun
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short for demonstration
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a demonstration record or tape, used for audition purposes
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a demonstration of a prototype system
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short for demonstrator
combining form
Etymology
Origin of demo1
1935–40; by shortening; -o
Origin of Demo2
An Americanism dating back to 1785–95
Origin of demo-3
< Greek dēmo-, combining form of dêmos
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rushing into a nearby demo studio, Sedaka cut a version that was ready for radio, but RCA refused to release it, on the grounds that it only released records made in its studios.
From Los Angeles Times
Her mother sent her demo to a producer in Miami, who then linked the young singer to a music manager in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times
When I picked up the S26 Ultra at a demo in San Francisco, I had to ask if the Privacy Display was active.
Jean still has demos and outtakes from those sessions, but he refuses to release them.
From Los Angeles Times
He estimates that roughly half the artists he works with represent themselves, often reaching out directly after meeting him at shows or sending demos.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
