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’s a passenger with a bright-green buzz cut (in sharp contrast with that same orange), one with a platinum wig, a baby-blue turban, a sparkly hijab, a graduation cap, a fez, very big headphones. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 10 May 2025

There’s still a headphone port and pass-through charging. —Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 10 May 2025

On a recent episode of the New Heights podcast, the girl dad's youngest daughter stopped by to say hello, adorably trying on her dad's headphones. —Kayla Grant, People.com, 8 May 2025

For example, headphones costing Americans up to $5 more or speakers costing up to $60 more could drain wallets nationwide by more than $2.5 billion, the CTA estimated. —Ashley Belanger – May 7, ArsTechnica, 7 May 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