outer ear

noun
1.
external ear.
Origin
1930-35
Examples from the web for outer ear
  • Horseshoe bats had been known to move their entire outer ear, or pinna.
  • In dolphins the outer ear is vestigial, reduced to a pinhole.
  • But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease.
outer ear in Medicine

outer ear out·er ear (ou'tər)
n.
See external ear.

outer ear in Science
outer ear
  (ou'tər)   
The part of the ear in many vertebrates that is external to the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and contains the canal leading to the eardrum as well as the ear lobe and other visible structures. In mammals, the outer ear, which is made mostly of cartilage, gathers and focuses incoming sound waves and transmits them to the eardrum. See more at ear1.
outer ear in Culture

outer ear definition


The part of the ear that projects from the side of the head and functions to gather and guide sound waves toward the eardrum.