cauliflower ear

American  

noun

1. an ear that has been deformed by repeated injury, resulting in an irregular thickening of scar tissue.

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cauliflower ear British  

noun

1. Also called: boxer's ear.  Technical name: aural haematoma.  permanent swelling and distortion of the external ear as the result of ruptures of the blood vessels: usually caused by blows received in boxing

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Etymology

Origin of cauliflower ear

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example Sentences

I tape my wrists, followed by my ears — to the side of my head — so I don’t get cauliflower ear, which is what happens if you get a shot to the ear.

From New York Times • Jul. 2, 2021

Former Ireland rugby international Willie Anderson, who once used leeches to draw out the blood from a cauliflower ear, has welcomed the development.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2017

Given the perception that rugby is more likely to serve up cauliflower ear than mashed brain, Melville believes rugby can exploit football's head injury crisis.

From The Guardian • Jun. 24, 2012

In smaller roles, Terry Crews and his biceps handle the operation's biggest weapons, and Mixed Martial Arts star Randy Couture explains things, like his cauliflower ear, in fine scientific detail.

From Reuters • Aug. 5, 2010

There was another man with him, a very large man with a broken nose and what is known among the sporting fraternity as a cauliflower ear.

From The Professor's Mystery by Hastings, Wells