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Glite Dictionary
ear hole

ear hole

3.0
An opening in a helmet or other head covering that lets sound reach your ear
  • noun
translation icon : orificio para el oído
  • Modern headphones are designed with a small ear hole for better sound transmission.

Examples

  • Some medieval armor included an ear hole to help soldiers hear commands during battle.

  • The ear hole in my helmet lets me hear better.

  • Make sure the ear hole of your helmet lines up with your ear before fastening the straps.

  • He adjusted the ear holes on his new headset.

  • The sound of the music was muffled until he adjusted the ear holes of his helmet.

  • Make sure the ear holes on your bike helmet are clear of any obstruction.

  • He could finally hear the instructions clearly after adjusting the padding around the ear holes.

Surface Forms

ear hole singular
ear holes plural

Morphology

ear + hole

The meaning 'an opening that lets sound reach the ear' is directly and compositionally derived from 'ear' (hearing organ) + 'hole' (an opening). This simple noun–noun compound follows regular English compounding patterns and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun ear hole comes from the simple picture of a small hole placed next to your ear in a helmet or headset so sound can pass through. So, 'ear hole' means an opening that lets sound reach the ear.