auricle

[ awr-i-kuhl ]

noun

1. Anatomy.
   1. the projecting outer portion of the ear; pinna.
   2. Also called au·ric·u·lar ap·pend·age [aw-, rik, -y, uh, -ler , uh, -, pen, -dij]. an ear-shaped appendage projecting from each atrium of the heart.
   3. (loosely) the atrium.
2. Botany, Zoology. a part like or likened to an ear.

auricle

/ ˈɔːrɪkəl /

noun

1. 1. the upper chamber of the heart; atrium
   2. a small sac in the atrium of the heart
2. Also calledpinna anatomy the external part of the ear
3. Also calledauricula biology an ear-shaped part or appendage, such as that occurring at the join of the leaf blade and the leaf sheath in some grasses

auricle

/ ôr′ĭ-kəl /

1. The visible part of the outer ear.
2. An atrium of the heart.

Derived Forms

• ˈauricled, adjective

Other Words From

• au·ri·cled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of auricle¹

First recorded in 1645–55, auricle is from the Latin word auricula the (external) ear, ear lobe. See auri- ², -cle ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of auricle¹

C17: from Latin auricula the external ear, from auris ear

Example Sentences

It enters the auricle—the crumpled cone of the ear—and echoes through the auditory canal, strikes the eardrum, chimes the bones of the middle ear, and goes spinning down the sousaphone of the cochlea, tripping nerves inside like keys on a piano.

From The New Yorker

The part of the ear that sticks out—the auricle, or pinna—functions like a smaller version of a cupped hand: it funnels sound waves into the external auditory canal, which is the thing you’re not supposed to stick a Q-tip into.

From The New Yorker

Humans do have weak vestigial muscles attached to the shell of the ear, called the auricle or pinna, as well as evidence of a vestigial nervous system, which could have functioned to orient the ears.

From New York Times

Production and consumption, to be sure, are the auricle and ventricle of capitalism, and certainly “If Venice Dies” misses few opportunities to lash out at “blind belief in the irrepressible power of the market as the sole source of all value.”

From Washington Post

The findings were startling: Even if, as C.B.P. claimed, José Antonio had been throwing rocks at the agents — not an outrageous contention on its face, considering how much control the cartels hold over barrios like La Capilla, where scouts with walkie-talkies and binoculars monitor Border Patrol activity — the autopsy showed the bullet holes were angled ‘‘from the back to the front,’’ with entry points ‘‘behind the auricle of the ear’’ and ‘‘in the posterior region’’ of the neck, torso and deltoid.

From New York Times