auricle

American  

[awr-i-kuhl] / ˈɔr ɪ kəl /

noun

1. Anatomy.

   1. the projecting outer portion of the ear; pinna.

   2. Also called auricular appendage.  an ear-shaped appendage projecting from each atrium of the heart.

   3. (loosely) the atrium.

2. Botany, Zoology. a part like or likened to an ear.

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auricle British  

/ ˈɔːrɪkəl /

noun

1. 1. the upper chamber of the heart; atrium

   2. a small sac in the atrium of the heart

2. Also called: pinna.  anatomy the external part of the ear

3. Also called: auricula.  biology an ear-shaped part or appendage, such as that occurring at the join of the leaf blade and the leaf sheath in some grasses

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auricle Scientific  

/ ôr′ĭ-kəl /

1. The visible part of the outer ear.

2. An atrium of the heart.

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Other Word Forms

• auricled adjective

Etymology

Origin of auricle

First recorded in 1645–55, auricle is from the Latin word auricula the (external) ear, ear lobe. See auri- ², -cle ¹

Example Sentences

The C-shaped curves of the auricle direct sound waves toward the auditory canal.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The auricle, ear canal, and tympanic membrane are often referred to as the external ear.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

He imagined that every part of the body was represented on the auricle, the outer part of the ear, and that stimulating points on this homunculus could affect distant corresponding organs.

From Slate • Aug. 21, 2012

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me a moment: The show makes one of its points about crime and punishment by borrowing from the auricle tradition of Blue Velvet and Reservoir Dogs.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2011

When waves of sound strike the auricle, they are partly reflected outwards, while the remainder, impinging at various angles, undergo a number of reflections so as to be directed into the auditory canal.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various