headset

noun

head·​set ˈhed-ˌset 

plural headsets

1

: a support framework with attached electronic devices that is worn on the head: such as

a

: an earphone or a pair of earphones held on the head by a band

Earbuds, tiny round speakers which fit snugly into the ear, are near-invisible as they don't use a headband, but they don't fit every ear. The traditional banded headsets either completely enclose the ear or just sit gently over the opening.

—Joe Brown

Using discreet headsets with single earpiece headphones, the free audio-described tour will be delivered by a professional audio describer.

—Lincoln Tan

… a hybrid tech earbud headset with magnetic tipped earbuds.

—Gregg Ellman

especially : such a headset that also includes an attached microphone

… you should seriously consider getting a separate microphone or using a headset with a decent boom mic for much better audio quality than anything these webcams can capture.

—Will Greenwald

All you need for this is a hands-free headset for your telephone. Once you're properly equipped, you can make personal phone calls while simultaneously using your computer for personal entertainment.

—Paul McFedries

b

: virtual reality hardware (such as goggles and headphones) that is held on the head by one or more bands or straps

… stitches together multiple images to create a panoramic, 360-degree environment, and provides a virtual-reality headset to put you in the middle of a real video. You merely glance left or right, up or down, to see a different portion of the 3-D world you're in.

—Jake Kirchner

2

: the support framework of a headset

… the wearable computer mounted in the headset of a pair of glasses …

—David McNamee

Examples of headset in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Commanders were left stunned, as Quinn threw down his headset on the sideline knowing that his team should be 2-3 instead of 1-3-1. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Jegadish clipped her smart phone to a headset and began chopping a carrot, her phone recording her every hand movement. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

The glasses, which are priced at about $1,300, aren’t anything like the Quest VR headsets Meta has been selling for years, which weigh about 18 ounces and look like a visor or helmet rather than glasses. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Coach Dan Quinn ripped off his headset and slammed it to the ground. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for headset

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• binet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

headset

noun

head·​set -ˌset 

: a pair of headphones