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

One of China’s premium audio brands has launched a new series of wireless speakers and headphones. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025

Meghan Markle listens to the radio through headphones during a visit tot Reprezent 107.3FM at Pop Brixton, in London, England, on January 9, 2018. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025

This data is then combined with individualized HRTF profiles that account for the listener’s unique ear and head geometry, enabling highly accurate localization of sound through standard stereo headphones. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 12 June 2025

With a total of 12 microphones and an advanced new chipset, Sony claims its latest headphones have the best noise canceling on the market. —Ryan Waniata, Wired News, 10 June 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