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

In addition to grocery shoppers, think of the gym-goers and bus riders who retreat into personal sound cocoons with the help of headphones. —Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025

These Bose over-ear headphones provide ample noise cancellation to drown out blaring car horns and whooshing subways, and have a 24-hour battery life. —Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 2 Dec. 2025

Cyber Monday Smartphone Deals For only $40 (thanks to a 33% discount), the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G brings smooth everyday performance, a vibrant AMOLED screen, and receives bonus points for that microSD slot and headphone jack. —PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025

Earbuds and headphones are leading the charge—AirPods are at their lowest price of the year, and both Sony and Logitech have discounted noise-canceling pairs (the latter is a top pick for any gamer teen boys). —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for headphone

• alone
• atone
• backbone
• bemoan
• bluestone
• breastbone
• brownstone
• capstone
• cheekbone
• condone
• curbstone
• cyclone

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