inner ear

noun

Definition of inner ear

: 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

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Their gelatinous structure means they are perfectly adapted to living at extreme pressure and in fact the hardest structures in their bodies are the bones in their inner ear which give them balance and their teeth. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Discover Trippy New Translucent Fish at the Bottom of the Ocean," 10 Sep. 2018 Their gelatinous structure means they are perfectly adapted to living at extreme pressure and in fact the hardest structures in their bodies are the bones in their inner ear which give them balance and their teeth. — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "Scientists find 3 bizarre new sea creatures in pitch-black part of Pacific Ocean," 10 Sep. 2018 The ability to balance depends on the formation of tiny crystals of calcium carbonate in the inner ear. — Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, "Unlocking Secrets of Sour Flavors With Something Found in Your Ears," 3 Feb. 2018 Lathrop began her new enterprise with two waltzing mice, a breed known for their bobbing and circling movement caused by mutation of the inner ear. — Leila Mcneill, Smithsonian, "The History of Breeding Mice for Science Begins With a Woman in a Barn," 20 Mar. 2018 The rare cancer attacked his temporal bone, cranial nerve and inner ear. — Makayla Tendall, ajc, "'See ya later, suckas!': Family writes unique obituary for 5-year-old cancer victim," 13 July 2018 Garrett suffered from stage 4 Alveolar Fusion Negative Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) which is a rare form of cancer that affected Garrett’s temporal bone, cranial nerve and inner ear, according to a GoFundMe created for him. — PEOPLE.com, "5-Year-Old Boy Dying of Cancer Prepares His Own Amazing Obituary: 'See Ya Later, Suckas!'," 12 July 2018 The idea behind them is unique: the Ear Duos wrap around the underside of your ear and have a big hole right in the middle of the part that fits into your inner ear. — Chris Welch, The Verge, "Sony’s futuristic earbuds are a pain in the present," 29 June 2018 This acceleration pushes pilots back in their seats, which to the inner ear feels exactly the same as tilting upward. — Jeff Wise, Popular Mechanics, "An Illusion Made FlyDubai Pilots Crash Their Plane Into the Ground," 25 Apr. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inner ear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Nov 2018

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Time Traveler for inner ear

The first known use of inner ear was in 1855

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More Definitions for inner ear

inner ear

noun

English Language Learners Definition of inner ear

biology : the part of the ear that is located within your head and that controls hearing and balance

See the full definition for inner ear in the English Language Learners Dictionary

inner ear

noun

Kids Definition of inner ear

: the inner part of the ear that is located in a bony cavity and plays a key role in hearing and keeping the body properly balanced

inner ear

noun

Medical Definition of inner ear

: 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