ear trumpet
Definition
Noun: A conical, trumpet-shaped acoustic device, historically used as a hearing aid to collect and funnel sound waves into the ear of a person with hearing loss.
Usage
The term "ear trumpet" refers specifically to a non-electrical, passive sound amplification tool. It is primarily used in historical contexts, as modern electronic hearing aids have largely replaced it. * The museum had an exhibit on Victorian medicine, which included an antique ear trumpet. * Before the invention of electronic aids, people with hearing difficulties often used an ear trumpet.
Advanced Usage
- Historical Artifact: In modern usage, "ear trumpet" almost exclusively describes a historical object, emphasizing its obsolescence.
- The painting depicted a distinguished gentleman holding an ear trumpet to his ear.
Variants and Related Words
- Hearing aid (n): The modern, general term for any device designed to improve hearing, typically electronic. An ear trumpet is a specific, archaic type of hearing aid.
- Speaking tube (n): A related historical device consisting of a tube used to convey the human voice over a short distance, often between rooms on a ship or in a large house.
Synonyms
- Hearing horn
- Acoustic horn (in a technical, historical context)
Related Idioms
- None directly associated. The term "ear trumpet" is a specific noun and is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions.
Noun
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a conical acoustic device formerly used to direct sound to the ear of a hearing-impaired person
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