hearing dog

noun

plural hearing dogs
: a dog trained to alert its deaf or hard of hearing owner to sounds (as of a doorbell, alarm, or telephone)

called also hearing ear dog

Examples of hearing dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Neighbors described hearing dogs, loud music and banging from his lot. Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 19 July 2023 King lip reads and uses a hearing dog at her job at a psychiatric hospital. Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2020 There are winners in seven categories: law enforcement/arson dog, emerging hero dog, guide/hearing dog, military dog, search and rescue dog, service dog and therapy dog. Hal Boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, 24 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hearing dog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hearing dog was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near hearing dog

Cite this Entry

“Hearing dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearing%20dog. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

hearing dog

noun
: a dog trained to alert its deaf or hard of hearing owner to sounds (as of a doorbell, alarm, or telephone)

called also hearing ear dog

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!