outer ear

noun

Definition of outer ear

: the outer visible portion of the ear that collects and directs sound waves toward the tympanic membrane by way of a canal which extends inward through the temporal bone

Examples of outer ear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When the water has drained out, gently dry your outer ear with a towel or blow dryer. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What to Do If You Have an Earwax Blockage," 29 Jan. 2019 Then, use a rubber-bulb syringe to gently squirt warm water into your ear canal, tilt your head, pull your outer ear up and back to straighten your ear canal, and tip your head to the side to let the liquid drain out. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Kind of Gross, but Did You Know There Are Actually 2 Types of Earwax?," 11 Jan. 2019 Sound waves enter your outer ear and travel to the middle portion via a narrow passageway called the ear canal. — Cassie Shortsleeve, SELF, "7 Ear Problems That Can Mess With Your Summer," 18 Aug. 2018 The wingtips help the top of the buds snap into the upper portion of your outer ear. — Jeffrey Van Camp, WIRED, "Review: Samsung Gear IconX (2018)," 2 Nov. 2017 When finished, gently dry your outer ear with a towel or handheld dryer. — Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, "Home remedies: Cleaning out the earwax," 26 Sep. 2017 Bleeding from the outer ear is common when the tight-fitting helmet is forced off. — Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Blood no extra concern after Joe Flacco hit," 26 Oct. 2017 Tilt your head and pull your outer ear up and back to straighten your ear canal. — Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, "Home remedies: Cleaning out the earwax," 26 Sep. 2017

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about outer ear

Dictionary Entries near outer ear

Statistics for outer ear

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for outer ear

The first known use of outer ear was in 1701

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for outer ear

outer ear

noun

English Language Learners Definition of outer ear

biology : the part of the ear that can be seen on the outside of your head

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

outer ear

noun

out·er ear | \ ˈau̇t-ər-

Medical Definition of outer ear

: the outer visible portion of the ear that collects and directs sound waves toward the tympanic membrane by way of a canal which extends inward through the temporal bone