inner ear

noun

: the essential organ of hearing and equilibrium that is located in the temporal bone, is innervated by the auditory nerve, and includes the vestibule, the semicircular canals, and the cochlea

Examples of inner ear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Inflammation and congestion, specifically, can lead to inner ear dysfunction. —Lindsay Curtis, Health, 25 Apr. 2025

Cut all the ear shapes out, then glue the inner ear shape on top of the outer ear shape, leaving about 1 inch at the bottom unattached. —Annabelle Canela, Parents, 16 Apr. 2025

Reviving Extinct Genes Colossal’s dire wolf project started with DNA extraction from two fossils — a 13,000-year-old tooth found in Ohio and a 72,000-year-old inner ear bone found in Idaho. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025

To build the dire wolves, scientists at Colossal, led by chief science officer Beth Shapiro, extracted DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old inner ear bone and fed it into a sequencing machine. —Andrea Marks, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inner ear

• auctioneer
• bandelier
• belvedere
• bombardier
• brigadier
• buccaneer
• cavalier
• chandelier
• chanticleer
• chevalier
• commandeer
• disappear

Kids Definition

inner ear

noun

: the part of the ear that is most important for hearing, is located in a cavity in the temporal bone, and contains the ends of the nerves which send nerve impulses concerned with hearing and balance to the brain

Medical Definition

inner ear

noun

: the essential part of the vertebrate organ of hearing and equilibrium that typically is located in the temporal bone, is innervated by the auditory nerve, and includes the vestibule, the semicircular canals, and the cochlea

called also internal ear