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

The scans are often used to check for aneurysms of cerebral vessels, conditions of the eye and inner ear, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord conditions, stroke, tumors and brain injury from trauma. —Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

How balance becomes harder Maintaining balance looks effortless, but the brain constantly processes information from vision, the inner ear, and pressure sensors in the feet. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Nov. 2025

This is a type of vertigo that happens when canaliths, which are small pieces of calcium, are floating inside your inner ear canals. —Jakob Roze, Health, 2 Nov. 2025

Regeneron researchers also believe this work will inform efforts to develop gene therapies for other parts of the body where, like in the inner ear, cells don’t divide. —Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 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