Lughole

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A casual phrase used to describe the visible outer section of an ear, which conveys lightheartedness and humor regarding the function of hearing and listening
2. The portion of the ear that is visible externally and collects sound waves for hearing
3. The outer physical structure of the ear that serves to capture and funnel sounds to the inner ear

Etymology: "Lug" is an older English word for the ear, or more often the ear's outer flap, and "lughole" is simply that word joined to "hole," producing a playful, slangy name for the ear as an opening into which sound is poured. The compound is plain and transparent, so there is no hidden story to uncover: the second element tells you exactly what the speaker had in mind. The first element deserves a closer look because it is the surprising part. "Lug" has a long history of meaning "ear" in dialects and older English, and it also appears in the sense of a projecting handle or ear-shaped protrusion on an object, which is where the same image shows up again. Its exact origin is uncertain, so it is safest to think of it as an old, informal word that has survived mainly in colloquial and regional speech rather than in standard vocabulary. Because "lughole" is a casual coinage, its tone comes from the combination itself. Pairing a homely word for an ear with the blunt, cheerful "hole" makes the body part sound a little comic, which is why it turns up in affectionate or teasing speech about listening, rather than in formal writing.