headphone

noun

head·​phone ˈhed-ˌfōn 

plural headphones

: an earphone held over the ear by a band worn on the head

—usually plural

So for the gamer to gain that "edge," he must have the best mouse, the smoothest mouse pad or the most sensitive headphones.

—Chris Yong

Strapping on cushy headphones the size of loaves of bread, I'd repeatedly listen to Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and the music of artists such as Jelly Roll Morton and Billie Holiday.

—Robert Wilder

also : a small earphone inserted into the ear : earbud

in-ear headphones

Examples of headphone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are also can’t-miss deals on smart TVs, Beats headphones, and Kasa plugs that turn your home into a smart home. —Isabel Garcia, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025

The flip side Thank you to the contributor for mentioning that there is a splitter available for iPads with a single port for headphones and charging! —Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025

The features work only when the headphones are connected using a USB-C-to-USB-C or a USB-C-to-3.5mm audio cable. —Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025

Apple flagged some weeks ago that lossless audio was coming to AirPods Max with USB-C thanks to the iPhone software iOS 18.4—and the company also fixed the headphones’ slightly annoying omission. —David Phelan, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for headphone

• alone
• atone
• backbone
• bemoan
• bluestone
• breastbone
• brownstone
• capstone
• cheekbone
• condone
• curbstone
• cyclone

Kids Definition

headphone

noun

head·​phone ˈhed-ˌfōn 

: an earphone held over the ear by a band worn on the head

—usually used in plural