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

Over the Ear traditional headphones Almost any type of headphone will come at a wide range of price points. —Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024

The Sonos Ace headphones fit perfectly in that lineage. —David Pierce, The Verge, 4 June 2024

But sound quality isn't all these headphones have to offer. —Shannon Ullman, Verywell Health, 3 June 2024

As for the cluster of front-panel port cables, the View 270 TG has a nine-pin power/reset/drive activity button/LED group, an HD Audio for the separate headphone and microphone jacks, a 19-pin USB 3.x for the two Type-A ports, and a Gen 2x2 Type-E for the USB 3.x Type-C port. —PCMAG, 1 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

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