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

The rear of the main unit is home to USB 2.0 Type-A and HDMI 2.1 ports (one of which supports audio return) as well as a headphone jack. —Paul Ridden june 26, New Atlas, 26 June 2025

It’s built like a hybrid of the Nintendo Switch Pro and Xbox controller, with offset analog sticks, sturdy triggers, and a headphone jack for added convenience. —Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 25 June 2025

Jurors were instructed to wear headphones, and privacy guards were implemented on their computer screens. —Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR, 24 June 2025

The jurors wore headphones and watched the clips on monitors. —Jenna Sundel joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 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