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

Recent Examples on the Web

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 Many characteristics such as wrist bones, the pelvis, hip bones, the inner ear and the top of the backbone are used by herpetologists to figure out details of a frog’s life and determine its relation to other frogs, the statement said. — Allyson Chiu, ajc, "A surprise find: 99-million-year-old frog fossils encased in amber," 15 June 2018 Problems in the inner ear — where head position is perceived — are the most common cause of nystagmus, usually accompanied by vertigo. — Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, "Why Was Her Vision Jerky and Blurry if There Was Nothing Wrong With Her Eyes?," 1 May 2018 The bone that surrounds the inner ear turns out to be the best place in the body to search for ancient DNA. — Carl Zimmer, New York Times, "David Reich Unearths Human History Etched in Bone," 20 Mar. 2018

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

19 Sep 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