earphone

American

[eer-fohn] / ˈɪərˌfoʊn /

noun

a sound receiver that fits in or over the ear, as of a radio or telephone.
Usually earphones. a headset; headphone.

earphone British

/ ˈɪəˌfəʊn /

noun

a device for converting electric currents into sound waves, held close to or inserted into the ear

"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 earphone

First recorded in 1920–25; ear ¹ + phone 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.

Small portable radios were common, but they didn’t sound good and usually came with just a small earphone that went in one ear.

From NewsForKids.net • May 20, 2024

Samsung, which is the biggest maker of Android phones, recommends using a cotton bud to get moisture out of the earphone jack and charging port.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024

Nicolas Krumm, a journalist for the Chilevision channel, was speaking about the rise in robberies in the local area when the feathered fiend took his earphone.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2022

But when Astros catcher Martín Maldonado had a question about his wine preferences, Verlander pulled off one earphone and responded.

From Washington Post • May 16, 2022

He had the Geiger counter with him, the one with the earphone; he was staring at the creek, looking upstream.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

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