inner ear

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 Teigen then showed off the new piercings on her Instagram Story, which appeared to be on her cartilage and in the inner ear. — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, "Chrissy Teigen Reveals Her Botched Nose Piercing: 'It Immediately Fell Out and Healed'," 29 Dec. 2020 The duvet cover was beautiful—soft, pristine, and a soothing pastel pink, the exact color of Peter’s inner ear. — Kelly Conaboy, The Atlantic, "Is It Okay to Let My Dog Sleep in My Bed?," 8 Dec. 2020 Tinnitus — a condition characterized by whooshing, ringing, buzzing and hissing noises in the ear — can be triggered by a variety of factors, including exposure to loud noises, inner ear damage and stress. — Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, "Covid-19 may make people's tinnitus worse," 5 Nov. 2020 Stewart's own research has found evidence of the virus in the inner ear. — Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, "Covid-19 may make people's tinnitus worse," 5 Nov. 2020 The hearing loss occurs when something is wrong with the sensory organs of the inner ear, and usually only affects one ear. — Korin Miller, Health.com, "45-Year-Old Man Suffers 'Sudden Irreversible Hearing Loss' After COVID-19 Infection—Here's What to Know," 15 Oct. 2020 Cats use segmented rotation, but it's helped by visual cues, inner ear sense, and even their tails. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "That Time the Air Force Tossed Cats in Zero Gravity," 24 Aug. 2020 It’s stimulated by the movement of fluid within the inner ear, which moves whenever kids rock, spin, make crazy movements, or go upside-down. — Jamie Kiffel-alcheh, National Geographic, "Tricks to settle your fidgeters, wigglers, and fingernail biters," 9 Sep. 2020 The inner ear helps animals keep their balance and sense equilibrium. — Theresa Machemer, Smithsonian Magazine, "Like Dolphins and Whales, Ancient Crocodiles Evolved to Spend Their Time at Sea," 22 Apr. 2020

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

16 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Inner ear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inner%20ear. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.

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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