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Glite Dictionary
auditory apparatus

auditory apparatus

6.5
The parts of the ear that receive sound and send it to the brain
  • noun
  • /ˈɔːdɪtɔri ˈæpəˌrætəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : aparato auditivo
  • Hearing loss can be caused by damage to the auditory apparatus in the ear.

Examples

  • One very good explanation, however, is based on the hypothesis that the quadrate/articular jaw joint was already a part of the auditory apparatus.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Whereas in the middle one that would be like a cell in your connected to your vestibular or auditory apparatus, the cochlea in the inner ear.

  • The auditory apparatus enables us to perceive sounds from our environment.

  • The study focused on how the auditory apparatus functions during speech perception.

Synonyms

ear
vsauditory apparatus
∞ 1.0

The part on the side of the head used for hearing

is the complete internal set of parts rather than just the visible outer structure
auditory system
vsauditory apparatus
  • Specialized
1 3.9

Body parts like the ear and nerves that let you hear

is narrower, referring only to the local parts that form the sound detector
organ of hearing
vsauditory apparatus
4.6

The part of the ear that gets sounds and sends them to the brain

is the complete set of parts that make that body part function

Surface Forms

auditory apparatus singular
auditory apparatuses plural

Morphology

auditory + apparatus

The phrase is a straightforward combination of 'auditory' (related to hearing) and 'apparatus' (a set of organized bodily parts), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to the organ/system for hearing. The adjective+noun composition is a regular, non-idiomatic pattern and is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish 'aparato auditivo', French 'appareil auditif'), supporting full transparency.

Etymology

The term auditory apparatus puts together auditory ('hearing') and apparatus ('tools' or a set of parts) to create a clear image of the parts that work to hear. That's why the phrase means the whole set of parts, the outer, middle, and inner ear, that let someone hear.