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

Some reference headphones can be a bit like food that hasn’t been seasoned properly. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Are headphones or earbuds better for noise-cancelation? —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

The good news is that Amazon has unveiled thousands of fantastic deals so shoppers can pick up that pair of comfy walking shoes, ski jacket, or noise-canceling headphones for a bargain this month (think: up to 86 percent off). —Becca Blond, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024

The base MacBook Pro now sports three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 (one more than on the M3 version), an HDMI, an SD card slot, a high-impedance headphone jack, and a MagSafe charging port. —Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 30 Oct. 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