cochlear implant

noun

: an electronic prosthetic device that enables individuals with sensorineural hearing loss to recognize some sounds and consists of an external microphone and speech processor and one or more electrodes implanted in the cochlea

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In the lab’s back room, another model shows the second half of the concept: There, the e-nose sensor transmits its signal to a small array of electrodes taken from a cochlear implant. IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022 Above his right ear was a cochlear implant. Keith Bierygolick, The Enquirer, 21 May 2021 About halfway through the film, Ahmed’s character, Ruben, who has lost his hearing after years spent touring as a heavy metal drummer, decides to get a cochlear implant, a neuroprosthetic device that stimulates the auditory nerves to create the sensation of hearing. New York Times, 25 Mar. 2021 The trip is unforgettably visceral with intricate sound design, seemingly bringing viewers directly into the musician's head, from experiencing the sudden loss of hearing to the static buzzing of voices after Ruben takes the momentous, controversial step of undergoing cochlear implant surgery. USA Today, 22 Apr. 2021 Research shows cochlear implant success is uneven. Kristina Bernhardt, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2020 This decreased the gap between the nerve and the cochlear implant, and improved communication between the two. Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2014 The beams of light can be controlled with a level of specificity that helps solve cochlear implant wearers’ major complaints, including voices that sound flat and robotic, stripped of the subtle inflections that help communicate things like sarcasm. IEEE Spectrum, 24 Aug. 2022 Four-year-old Sawyer Lenglin heard his family for the first time after undergoing cochlear implant surgery in Toronto, Canada. Carissa Quiambao, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cochlear implant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cochlear implant was in 1967

Dictionary Entries Near cochlear implant

Cite this Entry

“Cochlear implant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cochlear%20implant. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Medical Definition

cochlear implant

noun
: an electrical prosthetic device that enables individuals with sensorineural hearing loss to recognize some sounds and that consists of an external microphone and speech processor that receive and convert sound waves into electrical signals which are transmitted to one or more electrodes implanted in the cochlea where they stimulate the auditory nerve
cochlear implantation noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!