ear cuff
1
4.9
- noun
- /ɪr kʌf/
:
arete de oreja
- She wore a beautiful ear cuff that sparkled under the lights.
Examples
-
At the jewelry store, I found an elegant ear cuff made of gold and adorned with jewels.
-
And last but not least, to tie the entire collection, I did add an ear cuff, which I feel like looks so good with my earrings.
-
They're ear cuffs.
-
The fashion show featured models showcasing various styles of ear cuffs.
Synonyms
A piece of jewelry worn on the outer edge of the ear without a piercing
A piece of jewellery that goes around the ear without a piercing
An earring that fits over the edge of the ear without needing a piercing
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is partly derivable: 'ear' gives the location and 'cuff' suggests a band or edge, so a learner can plausibly infer a band-like item worn on the ear. However, the primary sense of 'cuff' (a sleeve edge) does not directly denote jewellery, and the specific idea of a non‑piercing decorative piece may not be fully predictable without exposure. Because the interpretation requires a semantic extension of 'cuff', this is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Ear cuff comes from cuff, the band at the end of a sleeve. Imagine a small metal band that wraps the edge of the ear without a hole. That's why an ear cuff means 'a piece of jewelry worn on the ear without piercing'.