Definition

1. Noun:
   • An electro-acoustic transducer that converts electrical signals into sound waves. It is designed to be worn on or placed in the ear, allowing a single listener to hear audio privately without disturbing others.
   • (Often used in the plural form headphones) A pair of such devices connected by a band worn over the head or around the neck, or as separate earpieces.

Usage

• Noun:
  • She put on her headphone to listen to the podcast. (She used a single earpiece to listen.)
  • I need to buy new headphones for my computer. (I need to buy a new pair of audio devices for listening.)
  • The headphone jack on my phone is broken. (The port for connecting an earpiece is broken.)

Advanced Usage

• "Noise-cancelling headphone": A type of headphone that uses technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds.
  • His noise-cancelling headphones make long flights much more peaceful.
• "Over-ear headphone": A headphone with large cups that fully enclose the ear.
  • Over-ear headphones often provide better sound isolation.
• "In-ear headphone": A small headphone that is inserted directly into the ear canal; also commonly called an earbud or in-ear monitor.
  • She prefers in-ear headphones for running.

Variants and Related Words

• Headset (n): A pair of headphones with an attached microphone for two-way communication.
  • The customer service agent wore a headset.
• Earphone (n): A synonym, often referring to a smaller device inserted into the ear. Sometimes used interchangeably with .
  • The earphones that came with my phone broke.
• Earpiece (n): A generic term for a device worn in or over the ear to hear sound; can be part of a headphone or a single listening device.
  • The spy communicated through a hidden earpiece.

Synonyms

• Earphone: A small listening device for the ear.
• Headset: Headphones with a microphone.
• Earpiece: A device for listening worn on the ear.

Related Phrases

• To put on headphones: To place headphones on one's head to start listening.
  • He puts on his headphones every morning on the train.
• To take off headphones: To remove headphones from one's head.
  • Please take off your headphones when I'm speaking to you.

Idioms

(No common idioms are directly formed with the word "headphone".)

Noun

1. electro-acoustic transducer for converting electric signals into sounds; it is held over or inserted into the ear
   • it was not the typing but the earphones that she disliked