podcast

podcast — noun

1. an audio show put online so people can listen on a phone, computer, or similar d

1.nounB1
Definition

an audio show put online so people can listen on a phone, computer, or similar device whenever they want.

Example

Nina listened to a history podcast while she cooked Sunday dinner.

collocation: listen to a podcast

On the train, this podcast kept Owen calm during the long trip.

Common collocations
  • listen to a podcast
  • download a podcast
  • podcast episode
  • weekly podcast
  • history podcast
Synonyms
  • audio show

    a plain descriptive phrase for an online spoken programme

  • radio show

    often first broadcast live or on radio, not only online

  • audio series

    stresses several connected episodes rather than one show

  • programme

    a broad word that needs context to show it is online audio

Grammar Patterns

listen to a podcast

download a podcast

podcast about [topic]

Usage Note

Usually countable and often follows verbs like listen to, play, download, or start. It refers to the programme or episode itself, unlike verb sense 1, which describes putting audio online in this form.

Common Mistakes

I listened a podcast on the bus.
I listened to a podcast on the bus.
after 'listen', English needs 'to' before the thing you hear.

podcast — verb

Word family

  • podcaster
    nounB2
  • podcasting
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, podcast is the normal word for an audio programme released online for people to play when they choose. A radio show is broader: it may go out live first and may never be offered for later listening. Audio series is useful when you want to stress a set of linked episodes, but it sounds more descriptive and less everyday. Webcast often suggests live internet delivery and can include video, so it does not fit every podcast. Programme is the broadest word of all and needs extra context to show the online audio format. You can follow a history podcast every week, hear a radio show at noon, or watch a live webcast of a company meeting.

radio showaudio serieswebcast ↗programme ↗

Etymology

English

Podcast was formed in modern English from iPod and broadcast. At first it referred to audio programmes copied to an iPod or similar player, but the meaning soon widened to any online audio show that people can download or play on demand.