earpiece

noun

ear·​piece ˈir-ˌpēs 

1

: the part of an instrument (such as a telephone, stethoscope, or hearing aid) that is placed against or inserted into the outer opening of the ear

especially : earphone

2

: one of the two sidepieces that support eyeglasses by passing over or behind the ears

Examples of earpiece in a Sentence

the earpiece of a stethoscope

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of a large tube, RIC hearing aids use a thin, flexible tube to connect the device to the earpiece. —Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025

Designed to offer clarity and a rich audio performance, the Knight IEMs are fitted with a dual-magnet, dynamic 10mm driver in each earpiece. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025

The Air plays media through the earpiece and down-firing speakers. —PC Magazine, 29 May 2025

In testing, the earpiece reached 71.3dB, while the speaker reached 83.5dB. The phone is certainly loud enough to hear in just about any environment. —PCMAG, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

earpiece

noun

ear·​piece -ˌpēs 

: a part of an instrument (as a telephone) that is placed against or in the ear

especially : earphone

Medical Definition

earpiece

noun

ear·​piece ˈi(ə)r-ˌpēs 

1

: a part of an instrument (as a stethoscope or hearing aid) that is inserted into the outer opening of the ear

2

: one of the two sidepieces that support eyeglasses by passing over or behind the ears