binaural

/bɪˈnɔː.rəl/ (bre, ipa) · /bɪˈnɔːr.əl/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)bī-ˈnȯr-əl (ˌ)bi-/ (ame, mw)

binaural — adjective

  • binauralpositive
  • more binauralcomparative
  • most binauralsuperlative

1. Describes a way of capturing or reproducing sound where the listener's left and

1.形容詞C1
釋義

Describes a way of capturing or reproducing sound where the listener's left and right ears receive separate signals, creating the impression that the sound surrounds them naturally.

例句

Mei-Lin put on binaural headphones and felt as if she sat inside the concert hall.

attributive use: binaural headphones

The recording engineer used a binaural microphone to capture the orchestra with realistic depth.

collocation: binaural microphone

同義詞
  • stereophonic

    broader term for any two-channel audio, without the specifically immersive headphone effect of binaural

  • spatial audio

    modern marketing term that covers binaural and other 3D sound techniques

反義詞
  • monaural

    uses a single channel, sending the same signal to both ears

文法句型

binaural + noun (recording, audio, headphones, microphone)

用法筆記

Almost always used attributively (before a noun) with technical audio terms such as 'recording', 'headphones', 'microphone', or 'audio'. A specialist term in sound engineering; in everyday conversation, people more often say 'spatial audio' or '3D sound'.

常見錯誤

❌His stereo speakers produce binaural sound.
✅His headphones produce binaural sound by sending different signals to each ear.
💡Binaural audio requires separate channels per ear; regular speakers blend the sound before it reaches the ears.

2. Relating to both ears working together as a pair to perceive sound and judge whe

2.形容詞B2
釋義

Relating to both ears working together as a pair to perceive sound and judge where it comes from.

例句

Hiroshi's hearing test measured how well his binaural processing located sounds in a noisy room.

collocation: binaural processing

Jorge's binaural hearing told him a van was coming from the right before he crossed.

possessive + binaural hearing

同義詞
  • diotic

    technical synonym in audiology, much rarer in everyday use

  • two-eared

    literal and informal, rarely used in technical writing

反義詞

文法句型

binaural + noun (hearing, processing, cues, perception)

用法筆記

Used in audiology, biology, and psychology to describe the coordinated function of both ears. Unlike sense 1 (AUDIO TECHNOLOGY), this sense occasionally appears in predicative position (e.g., 'The hearing test was binaural'), though attributive use is still more common.

常見錯誤

❌Dogs have binaural hearing because they have two ears.
✅Dogs have binaural hearing because their brain compares input from both ears to locate sounds.
💡Having two ears is not the same as using them together for directional hearing.