auditory apparatus
- noun
- /ˈɔːdɪtɔri ˈæpəˌrætəs/
- Specialized
- Hearing loss can be caused by damage to the auditory apparatus in the ear.
Examples
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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.
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The auditory apparatus enables us to perceive sounds from our environment.
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The study focused on how the auditory apparatus functions during speech perception.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
The part on the side of the head used for hearing
1
3.9
Body parts like the ear and nerves that let you hear
1
4.6
The part of the ear that gets sounds and sends them to the brain
Surface Forms
Morphology
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.