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.
The app updates firmware and keeps tabs on the headphones’ whereabouts. Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are some of the best affordable headphones our A/V editors have ever tested. Parker Hall, Wired News, 9 July 2025 Best Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals for Kids Drop some sick beats on sale with $7 kids' headphones that feature a safe volume limiter or 8% off JBL Vibe Beam 2 earbuds for older kids. Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 8 July 2025 The headphones allowed Saenz de Viteri to speak to each audience member directly, as a writer speaks to each reader, and alternate points-of-view from omniscient distance one minute to character interiority the next, like a daring novelist. Brian Schaefer july 7, Literary Hub, 7 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 13 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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