Headset

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhɛdsɛt/

Definitions

1. An audio device worn on the head that facilitates sound playback through speakers while often providing a microphone for communication purposes
2. A wearable piece of technology that consists of stereo speakers placed over the ears and a microphone for facilitating conversation and sound enjoyment
3. A device designed to fit over the ears for listening purposes and commonly equipped with a microphone for voice transmission in conversations

Etymology: "Headset" is a plain compound: "head" joined to "set," so the word describes something set on the head. "Head" comes down from Old English "hēafod," and "set" from Middle English, both native English stock with no foreign detour. The combination is transparent, and the object it names is the point of interest: a single device that places a pair of earphones over the ears and a microphone before the mouth, so one object does the work of two.

Synonyms: earphones, headphones, earbuds, audio set, listening device

Antonyms: speaker, loudspeaker, sound system, amplifier, public address system