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

There are six output ports and two input ports to charge up your phone, headphones, camera battery, and other small devices. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026

State laws vary on headphone use behind the wheel, but the USA TODAY Cars team took a look at which states have laws against driving with headphones or earbuds, and which states make at least some allowances for phone calls. —Vanessa Countryman, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026

There’s even room for a lip gloss or two, hand sanitizer, and headphones. —Annie Blackman, InStyle, 11 Jan. 2026

One is described as a Black youth wearing all black clothing and white Beats headphones, like the ones seen in the video of the attack. —Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026

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