nickelodeon

noun

nick·​el·​ode·​on ˌni-kə-ˈlō-dē-ən How to pronounce nickelodeon (audio)
Synonyms of nickelodeonnext
1
: an early movie theater to which admission usually cost five cents
2
: jukebox

Examples of nickelodeon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The decor includes an old-fashioned nickelodeon as well as a bathroom with Art Deco design. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025 Movies always follow technology — from nickelodeons to iPhones. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025 Budget-friendly movie houses known as nickelodeons became a favorite attraction for urban dwellers in the first two decades of the 20th century. — Timeka Tounsel, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 By 1908 roughly 8,000 nickelodeons—five‑cent storefront theaters—ran nonstop shows. — Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nickelodeon

Word History

Etymology

probably from nickel + -odeon (as in melodeon music hall)

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nickelodeon was in 1888

Rhymes for nickelodeon

See All Rhymes for nickelodeon

Browse Nearby Words

nickelize
nickelodeon
nickelous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nickelodeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nickelodeon. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

nickelodeon

noun
nick·​el·​ode·​on ˌnik-ə-ˈlōd-ē-ən How to pronounce nickelodeon (audio)
1
: an early movie theater charging five cents for admission
2
: jukebox
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All