cinematograph

English

Noun

cinematograph (plural cinematographs)

1. (historical) A camera that could develop its own film and served as its own projector.
   • 1904, Rudyard Kipling, “Mrs Bathurst” in Traffics and Discoveries, New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., p. 326,^[1]

     “Oh, you mean the cinematograph—the pictures of prize-fights and steamers. I’ve seen ’em up country.”

     “Biograph or cinematograph was what I was alludin’ to. London Bridge with the omnibuses—a troopship goin’ to the war—marines on parade at Portsmouth an’ the Plymouth Express arrivin’ at Paddin’ton.”

     “Seen ’em all. Seen ’em all,” said Hooper impatiently.

   • 1919, Stanley W. Coxon, Dover During the Dark Days, London: John Lane, Chapter 13, p. 222,^[2]

     Flashes from the other groups of monitors and the heavy siege guns keep the whole sky lit up, flicking their flashes on the cloud-ridden celestial screen like a badly worked cinematograph.

Synonyms

• kinematograph

Derived terms

• cinema
• cinematography

Verb

cinematograph (third-person singular simple present cinematographs, present participle cinematographing, simple past and past participle cinematographed)

1. (rare) To employ the techniques of cinematography.