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

A Chilean reporter was live on air when a parrot landed on his shoulder and stole his earphone.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2022

And, when the Dodgers played during the school day, we listened in class, with an earphone discreetly connected to the transistor radio in our pocket.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2022

He charms the druggist’s wife into giving him a broken earphone; he salvages a solenoid from a discarded doorbell, solders it to a resistor, and makes a loudspeaker.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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