: the outer visible portion of the ear that collects and directs sound waves toward the tympanic membrane by way of a canal which extends inward through the temporal bone
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebSome models put most of the electronics behind the ear, then run a wire or tube to a receiver in the ear canal or fit it into the outer ear.Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2022 Tiny hair cells lined up in the outer ear leap and sway, transmitting sound’s vibrations to other hair cells in the inner ear that carry information via nerves to the brain. Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 9 May 2022 The implant is specifically for patients with microtia, a rare congenital ailment where the outer ear is either underdeveloped or doesn't exist at all. Li Cohen, CBS News, 2 June 2022 In a first for medicine, a surgeon has successfully implanted an outer ear developed and 3D-printed in a laboratory. Evan Bush, NBC News, 2 June 2022 With right sides together, pin together an inner and outer ear. Heidi Palkovic, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2021 The outer ear is one of the newer places clinicians are exploring as an access point to the vagus nerve. Katie Palmer, STAT, 24 Apr. 2021 The cartilaginous ridges, troughs and protuberances of the outer ear also alter sound before it is transduced into nerve signals.The Economist, 16 Dec. 2020 Andre was born with microtia, a birth defect where the outer ear does not fully develop during pregnancy. Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, 3 Aug. 2020 See More