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

Umpire Brian Walsh uses an earpiece during a Triple-A game to hear from the ABS system whether a pitch was ruled a ball or a strike. —Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025

What's especially neat is how these glasses are virtually indistinguishable from regular ones, with no earpieces in sight. —New Atlas, 8 Feb. 2025

The bodies of the earpieces are rounded and glossy black with a flat, metallic panel on the back. —PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2025

There’s a function for customizing the touch controls on each earpiece so the commands can be set up to suit the user’s preferences. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025

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