1
a
: an atrium of a heart
b
c
: an anterior ear-shaped pouch in each atrium of the human heart
2
: an angular or ear-shaped lobe, process, or appendage
Examples of auricle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ear movement is controlled by the auricular muscles—three muscles that connect the outer ear (or ‘auricle’) to the skull and scalp.
—
Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2025
Some have the small antennas of AirPods peeking out of their auricles.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
Pretty much everybody has a pair of auricles or pinnae, which is plural for pinna.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024
The Outer Ear: The auricle (pinna) is thevisible portion of the outer ear.
—Brian Robinson, Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2022
The World Cup, bless its enormous heart — which this year is missing Italian, American, Chilean and Dutch ventricles and auricles — can bring out the worst (acting, officiating) and best (quotes, actions) in people.
—Nick Canepa, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 July 2018
The auricle collects those sound waves and funnels them into the ear canal, which then makes your eardrum vibrate, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
—Amber Brenza, SELF, 4 Feb. 2018
Another catheter, similarly connected, went into the right auricle.
—Lily Rothman, Time, 11 Dec. 2017
Humans do have weak vestigial muscles attached to the shell of the ear, called the auricle or pinna, as well as evidence of a vestigial nervous system, which could have functioned to orient the ears.
—C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2017
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Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2025
Some have the small antennas of AirPods peeking out of their auricles.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
Pretty much everybody has a pair of auricles or pinnae, which is plural for pinna.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024
The Outer Ear: The auricle (pinna) is thevisible portion of the outer ear.
—Brian Robinson, Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2022
The World Cup, bless its enormous heart — which this year is missing Italian, American, Chilean and Dutch ventricles and auricles — can bring out the worst (acting, officiating) and best (quotes, actions) in people.
—Nick Canepa, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 July 2018
The auricle collects those sound waves and funnels them into the ear canal, which then makes your eardrum vibrate, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
—Amber Brenza, SELF, 4 Feb. 2018
Another catheter, similarly connected, went into the right auricle.
—Lily Rothman, Time, 11 Dec. 2017
Humans do have weak vestigial muscles attached to the shell of the ear, called the auricle or pinna, as well as evidence of a vestigial nervous system, which could have functioned to orient the ears.
—C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Auricle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auricle. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
auricle
noun
au·ri·cle
ˈȯr-i-kəl 
1
2
: a small pouch in each atrium of the human heart
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