headphone

noun head·phone \ ˈhed-ˌfōn \

|Updated on: 4 Aug 2018

Definition of headphone

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

See headphone defined for kids

Recent Examples of headphone from the Web

Apple did indicate that the new MacBook Pros are part of a broader Back to School promotion that begins today that includes a pair of qualifying Beats headphones with the purchase of any eligible Mac or iPad Pro for college.

— edward c. baig, USA TODAY, "Apple boosts oomph in priciest MacBook Pros," 12 July 2018
Each passenger will have access to an iPad Pro and noise-canceling headphones to take advantage of the planes' complimentary high-speed WiFi.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "This New Luxury Airline Is Offering Private Jet Travel at a Fraction of the Price," 9 July 2018
These headphones used to normally retail for $500, dropped closer to $400 this year, and have fluctuated in the $300-340 range over the past few weeks.

— ars staff, Ars Technica, "Dealmaster: Take 20% off a pair of Sennheiser noise-cancelling headphones [Updated]," 5 July 2018
Some wore top hats over their heads and headphones draped around their neck.

— jordan mcpherson and clark spencer, miamiherald, "The Marlins' next opponent is heading to town with a Miami-esque flair," 25 June 2018
There are over-ear headphones coming from Apple, too.

— mark gurman, Bloomberg.com, "Apple to Unveil High-End AirPods, Over-Ear Headphones For 2019," 25 June 2018
And in an era when headphone jacks are increasingly rare, this one is welcome.

— david pierce, WSJ, "This $530 Phone Stands Up to the $1,000 Competition," 29 May 2018
Not even the sound in my headphones can drown them out.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Judgement and Epiphany on Pittsburgh’s Number 79 Bus," 11 May 2018
In the event that the clean and naked combo isn’t clear to potential customers, the hotel created a cute video showing a chambermaid in headphones dancing about cleaning the room and washing all the bedding.

— christopher muther, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston’s newest hotel dares you to go bare," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'headphone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.