inner ear

noun

1. internal ear.

inner ear

noun

1. See labyrinth, internal ear
   another name for internal ear labyrinth

inner ear

/ ĭn′ər /

1. The innermost part of the ear in many vertebrate animals, consisting of the cochlea, the semicircular canals, and the vestibule. Sound vibrations are transmitted from the cochlea of the inner ear to the brain by the auditory nerve. The semicircular canals and the vestibule are the body's organs of balance.
2. See more at ear

inner ear

1. The part of the ear , located deep within the skull, where sound vibrations are converted to electrical signals and sent to the brain via the auditory nerve to produce the sensation of hearing. Organs related to balance are also located in the inner ear.

Word History and Origins

Origin of inner ear¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Kruger’s group drew on comparisons with the inner ears of modern mammals, he notes.

From Science News For Students

They found that the animal’s inner ears — bony tubes that help with balance — dwarfed those of its peer predators.

From Science News

The study draws on analyses of the inner ears of modern mammals, distant relatives of the group of reptiles that includes anteosaurs.

From Science News

Imagine a pilot is in a gradual, constant left turn, but doesn’t realize it, and the inner ear’s “liquid is not moving,” Stepanek explains.

From Popular-Science

The inner ear, which helps humans balance, cannot tell the difference between forces created by gravity and movement, which can cause confusion when it’s difficult to see, NTSB specialist Marie Moler wrote.

From Washington Post

They haven't got the sensitized inner ear of the quiet time that would lead them up into higher, broader service.

From Project Gutenberg

The tiniest defect in the mechanism of the inner ear may cost the airman his life, if he undertakes night flying.

From Project Gutenberg

A little tube called the Eustachian tube connects the inner ear with the mouth cavity.

From Project Gutenberg

The first part to appear is a portion of the inner ear, which shows itself as a round, hollowing of the ectoderm.

From Project Gutenberg

A quiet place shuts out the outer sounds, and gives the inner ear a chance to learn other sounds.

From Project Gutenberg