An earpiece is a small device that fits in or over your ear to deliver sound privately, so only you can hear it. Unlike speakers that broadcast sound to everyone nearby, an earpiece sends audio directly into your ear.

You've probably used earpieces many times: the small buds that come with your phone or music player are earpieces, letting you listen to songs or videos without disturbing people around you. Pilots wear earpieces connected to their radios so they can hear air traffic controllers over the roar of the engines. Secret Service agents protecting the President wear nearly invisible earpieces so they can receive urgent messages while staying alert to their surroundings.

The word can also refer to the part of a telephone handset or eyeglasses that touches your ear, though people use it most often to describe the listening devices that plug into electronic equipment. Some earpieces sit inside your ear, while others rest on the outer ear, but they all do the same basic job: bringing sound to you and you alone.