earphone

American  

[eer-fohn] / ˈɪərˌfoʊn /

noun

earphones plural

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

2. Usually earphones. a headset; headphone.

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earphone British  

/ ˈɪəˌfəʊn /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• earphones
  plural

Etymology

Origin of earphone

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

Example Sentences

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

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

“Now let’s try,” he whispers, and presses the earphone against his ear and runs what he has decided must be the tuning pin back and forth along the coil.

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