earphone

[eer-fohn]

noun

1. a sound receiver that fits in or over the ear, as of a radio or telephone.

2. Usually earphones. a headset; headphone.

earphone

/ ˈɪəˌfəʊn /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of earphone¹

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

Example Sentences

Within weeks of arriving, I loathed Madras, where rats stole the padding from my earphones, the humidity left me weak and men tailed my mother in traffic, desperate to buy our imported car.

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The wireless earphones will feature "Live Translation," which allows users to hear in their preferred language on their AirPods.

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“I was back in New York, and I was walking down the street and a guy looked up at me, pulled earphones out of his head and said, ‘Hey … you’re on my iPod!’

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In Stuart's earphones has been a podcast detailing the brutality of the Eastern Front in World War Two.

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Here was a middle-aged woman, fresh off a run, casually clutching a pair of earphones in her hand while she placed an important work call.

Read more on Los Angeles Times