Definition

1. Noun:
   • The passage in the outer ear: The ear canal is the tube-like structure that leads from the external opening of the ear (the auricle or pinna) to the eardrum (tympanic membrane). It is part of the outer ear and functions to conduct sound waves inward.

Usage

• The ear canal is a passageway for sound.
• Doctors use an otoscope to look inside the ear canal.
• It is important to keep the ear canal clean and dry to prevent infections.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Wax naturally accumulates in the ear canal to protect it.
  • An infection of the ear canal is called otitis externa or swimmer's ear.
  • The audiologist inserted a small probe into the ear canal to test hearing.

Advanced Usage

• "To irrigate the ear canal": To flush out the ear canal with water or a saline solution, often to remove excess earwax.
  • The nurse had to irrigate the patient's ear canal to clear the blockage.

Variants and Related Words

• Auditory canal (n): Another term for the ear canal.
  • The sound travels through the auditory canal.
• External auditory meatus (n): The formal anatomical name for the ear canal.
  • The diagram labeled the external auditory meatus.

Synonyms

• Auditory canal: The passage for sound in the outer ear.
• External acoustic meatus: The anatomical channel from the outer ear to the eardrum.

Related Phrases

(Note: 'Ear canal' is a specific anatomical term and does not commonly form phrasal verbs or idioms. The following are related descriptive phrases.) - Blocked ear canal: When the ear canal is obstructed, often by wax. - A blocked ear canal can cause temporary hearing loss. - Infected ear canal: An ear canal with a bacterial or fungal infection. - Swimming in polluted water can lead to an infected ear canal.

Noun

1. either of the passages in the outer ear from the auricle to the tympanic membrane