headphone

noun

head·​phone ˈhed-ˌfōn How to pronounce headphone (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Automatic updates aren’t always reliable, especially for headphones and earbuds. 2. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025 Courtesy of Matic; Roborock In the past few years, no other gadget—headphones, electric bicycle, literally anything at all—has improved as dramatically as the humble robot vacuum. Adrienne So, Wired News, 19 July 2025 These are the most ambitious headphones Skullcandy has ever released. Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025 Among the items police took from the apartment were 25 cell phones, two media players, headphones, two computer towers, a journal, a hard drive, some live ammunition... and a wig. Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for headphone

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of headphone was in 1908

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Headphone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headphone. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

headphone

noun
head·​phone ˈhed-ˌfōn How to pronounce headphone (audio)
: an earphone held over the ear by a band worn on the head
usually used in plural

More from Merriam-Webster on headphone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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