earmuff
earmuff Lexical Profile
earmuff Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Either of a pair of soft, insulated coverings connected by a band across the top of the head, worn over the ears to protect them from the cold (usually used in the plural).
"She put on her fleece earmuffs and a thick woolen scarf before stepping out into the freezing wind."
Either of a pair of padded, sound-deadening cups connected by a headband and worn over the ears to protect hearing from loud industrial or environmental noise (usually used in the plural).
"All ground crew personnel must wear acoustic earmuffs while working near the jet engines on the tarmac."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English in the late 19th century as a compound of 'ear' and 'muff', following the 1873 invention of wire-framed ear protectors by teenaged American inventor Chester Greenwood.