outer ear


Origin of outer ear

1
First recorded in 1930–35

Words Nearby outer ear

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How to use outer ear in a sentence

Scientific definitions for outer ear

outer ear

[ outər ]


  1. The part of the ear in many vertebrates that is external to the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and contains the canal leading to the eardrum as well as the ear lobe and other visible structures. In mammals, the outer ear, which is made mostly of cartilage, gathers and focuses incoming sound waves and transmits them to the eardrum. See more at ear1.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for outer ear

outer ear

The part of the ear that projects from the side of the head and functions to gather and guide sound waves toward the eardrum.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.