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

Under this system, the Hawk-Eye technology would call every pitch, every time, feeding the call to the home plate umpire through an earpiece. —Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025

Walnut is a wood that’s prized for its density and resistance to decay, which is why Grado chose it for the earpiece of the S950 to create a more relaxed sound presentation. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

His partner, ordering a hot dog at a cart across the street, hears it in her earpiece, and both sets of shoulders start to shimmy to the beat. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025

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

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