ear lobe
- noun
- /ɪr loʊb/
:
lóbulo de la oreja
- Parotid glands, which are opposite the front lower molars, are nearly parallel to the ear lobes.
Examples
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Nibbling the ear lobe, kneading the buttocks, and so on and so forth.
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She wore stunning earrings that hung delicately from her ear lobes.
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Make this kid's ear lobe longer.
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stretch out your ear lobes?
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Could you please get me some ice to numb her ear lobes?
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The doctor examined his ear lobes for any signs of infection after he got them pierced.
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Her ear lobes were adorned with colorful studs that caught the light.
Synonyms
22
1.0
The soft, rounded lower part of the outside of the ear
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'ear' (the hearing organ) + 'lobe' (a rounded projecting part): an 'ear lobe' is simply the rounded, fleshy projection of the ear. This type of compound is cross-linguistically common and follows standard noun + noun anatomy naming, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Ear lobe is a simple name: ear is the outer part and lobe is a small, hanging piece, so the term literally names the 'soft part that hangs down' of the ear.