ear stone

noun

1. an otolith.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ear stone¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Professor Trueman, who pioneered the otolith decoding method, explained: "All fish have a stony tissue in their ear called an otolith, or 'ear stone', which enables them to perceive noise and to balance. Our new work uses variations in the levels of natural stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen in the otolith to reveal each tuna's individual metabolic rate. This can tell us when waters are getting too hot for the fish to handle -it's like a natural fitness tracker."

From Science Daily

But not if you get yourself killed—not if you lose an arm or a leg, or come back with half your face shot off, and your one remaining ear stone deaf from cannon fire.

From Project Gutenberg

And accordingly he was as good as his word; for the creature descending backwards from the tree very leisurely, before he could lay one foot on the ground, Friday shot him through the ear, stone dead; and looking to see whether we were pleased, he burst out into a hearty laughter, saying, So we kill de bear in my country, not with the gun, but with much long arrows.

From Project Gutenberg

The man whose duty it was to guard the prisoners was found lying inside the big cell, his throat cut from ear to ear, stone dead!

From Project Gutenberg

All these years I have worn the dark streak, and one eye was blind, one ear stone deaf.

From Project Gutenberg