earring
Americannoun
-
earrings
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of earring
before 1000; Middle English erering, Old English ēarhring. See ear 1, ring 1
Explanation
An earring is jewelry you wear on your ear. Your favorite earrings might be tiny white pearls, or they might be long feathers that dangle to your shoulders. An earring is any kind of ring, stud, hoop, or dangling decoration that you clip on your earlobe or hook through a hole pierced in your ear. Many people wear two matching earrings, one in each lobe, although others have just one pierced ear and wear a single earring — and some have multiple piercings in which they can wear a variety of earrings. In the 18th century, an earring that dangled was called an ear-drop.
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.
See Examples For:
When interviewed for the podcast “Your Own Backyard,” Lassiter said the earring matched the necklace Smart is wearing in photos that went up after her disappearance.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
Earlier this month West Ham's Estelle Cascarino was stopped from coming on as a substitute against Chelsea in the Women's Super League because she was wearing an earring.
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2026
The small canvas shows a young woman set on a dark background, her head turned towards the viewer and a pearl earring glinting from beneath her blue and cream turban.
From Barron's ● Jan. 8, 2026
I enjoyed the unremarked-upon tension of Will returning home from London with a hip haircut and an earring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
He wore a pearl earring and had a face that needed to make a choice—either shave or grow a beard.
From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar
At a photo shoot to promote “The Odyssey,” Zendaya wore earrings made from 3,000-year-old Persian gold discs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
"Tattoos, rings and earrings are the only way to really identify."
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
That you don’t want to be accepting fancy pens or, like, gorgeous gold earrings or an airplane, which wasn’t invented yet.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
We’re looking back at the headbands, earrings, shoes, sunglasses and bags that evoked L.A. most — captured backstage by Image contributing photographer Tyler Matthew Oyer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
She said she wouldn’t waste her money on earrings.
From "Finding Langston" by Lesa Cline-Ransome
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.
