earpiece

noun

ear·​piece ˈir-ˌpēs 

1

: the part of an instrument (such as a telephone, stethoscope, or hearing aid) that is placed against or inserted into the outer opening of the ear

especially : earphone

2

: one of the two sidepieces that support eyeglasses by passing over or behind the ears

Examples of earpiece in a Sentence

the earpiece of a stethoscope

Recent Examples on the Web

Wearing sensors inside each earpiece can automatically pause the music and disable the touch controls to prevent any unwanted actions. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Each player wore an earpiece that told them which basket to turn towards and when to shoot. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 24 Dec. 2024

The sound is underpinned by a solid bass thanks to the 10.8mm dynamic drivers used in each earpiece that cover an impressive frequency range of 15 to 25kHz. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

The actors’ vocals were performed mostly live, with just a simple piano accompaniment playing in an earpiece. —Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

earpiece

noun

ear·​piece -ˌpēs 

: a part of an instrument (as a telephone) that is placed against or in the ear

especially : earphone

Medical Definition

earpiece

noun

ear·​piece ˈi(ə)r-ˌpēs 

1

: a part of an instrument (as a stethoscope or hearing aid) that is inserted into the outer opening of the ear

2

: one of the two sidepieces that support eyeglasses by passing over or behind the ears