Etymology

jukebox

juke·box
J8U1K5E1B3O1X8

Today it means: A coin-operated machine that plays recorded music, with push-buttons to make selections. Full definition →

First used 1939
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

First use appears c. 1939, from juke (“roadside café”) + box, replacing older collocational terms such as nickel-in-a-slot phonograph, coin-in-the-slot phonograph, and coin-operated phonograph.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1939 A coin-operated machine that plays recorded music, with push-buttons to make selections.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.