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earbud

American  
[eer-buhd] / ˈɪərˌbʌd /

noun

  1. a small earphone that fits in the ear.

    the best earbuds for your cell phone.
earbud British  
/ ˈɪəˌbʌd /

noun

  1. a small earphone worn in the ear for use with audio devices

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of earbud

First recorded in 1980–85; ear 1 + bud 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Co-produced by Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, the album was made for the earbud era.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

When I called out, they pulled an earbud halfway out and said, “Sorry, I just have to get to class.”

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2025

“Forty percent of my students have at least one earbud in when they walk into class,” Black said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2024

A man who thought he was going deaf has discovered that part of an earbud had been lodged in his ear for five years.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2022

The earbud drops to the concrete and I am on my feet.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.