headset

noun

head·​set ˈhed-ˌset 

plural headsets

1

: a support framework with attached electronic devices that is worn on the head: such as

a

: an earphone or a pair of earphones held on the head by a band

Earbuds, tiny round speakers which fit snugly into the ear, are near-invisible as they don't use a headband, but they don't fit every ear. The traditional banded headsets either completely enclose the ear or just sit gently over the opening.

—Joe Brown

Using discreet headsets with single earpiece headphones, the free audio-described tour will be delivered by a professional audio describer.

—Lincoln Tan

especially : such a headset that also includes an attached microphone

All you need for this is a hands-free headset for your telephone. Once you're properly equipped, you can make personal phone calls while simultaneously using your computer for personal entertainment.

—Paul McFedries

b

: virtual reality hardware (such as goggles and headphones) that is held on the head by one or more bands or straps

… stitches together multiple images to create a panoramic, 360-degree environment, and provides a virtual-reality headset to put you in the middle of a real video. You merely glance left or right, up or down, to see a different portion of the 3-D world you're in.

—Jake Kirchner

2

: the support framework of a headset

Google Glass—the wearable computer mounted in the headset of a pair of glasses—was launched by the data giant in February 2013.

—David McNamee

Examples of headset in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Three months since the Vision Pro mixed reality headset went on sale, Apple’s first new hardware device in years may already be running into headwinds. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024

The team is beginning to use it as a design tool, because when paired with a virtual reality headset, Imagineers can walk through a model of a new possible attraction or park and get a feel for it. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024

Facing the unanticipated drop in steam, Apple is now adjusting its headset roadmap, possibly pushing the future of a lower-cost entry mixed reality headset beyond 2025 (if at all). —Umar Shakir, The Verge, 23 Apr. 2024

Recommendations shared there include suing Meta, which has worked for some, or buying one of Meta’s virtual reality headsets to get access to a dedicated service team, which is judged to be no longer effective. —Paresh Dave, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024

In the first photo, Johnson East's daughter is on her back and wearing a headset, staring at the ceiling. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024

But when the scrubs go on, a headset could be the ideal tool. —Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024

Even if those developers want to continue to cater for owners of older headsets, that support will be blocked. —Andrew Williams, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

In a press release on Tuesday, the company said WWDC 2024 will also share software updates coming to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro headset. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

headset

noun

head·​set -ˌset 

: a pair of headphones