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

Grab this stylish pair of wireless headphones today for under $80. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Nobody ever seriously believed Belichick was going to morph into a headphones-wearing, sideline-waking Susan Lucci, the soap opera megastar who waited 19 years before finally winning a Daytime Emmy. — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Founded in 1925, the company is known for its high-end home sound systems, headphones and televisions — done up with minimalist Scandinavian design. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026

During the flashback to the fall of Troy, Mom covers the baby's ears with headphones. — Zachary Pincus-Roth, USA Today, 3 Sep. 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