listening device

listening device — noun

1. an electronic device, typically a tiny microphone concealed inside an everyday o

1.名詞B2
釋義

an electronic device, typically a tiny microphone concealed inside an everyday object, that transmits or records conversations without the speakers' knowledge or consent

例句

The private investigator found a listening device hidden beneath the CEO's office desk.

collocation: found a listening device hidden [beneath/under] [location]

Kofi swept the suspect's car for listening devices before the police operation began.

同義詞
  • bug

    informal and very common in spy fiction; can also be used as a verb ('to bug a room')

  • hidden microphone

    more literal and technical; describes the function directly without the covert connotation of 'listening device'

  • wiretap

    specifically refers to interception of telephone or electronic communications, not a physical microphone hidden in a room

  • surveillance device

    broader term that includes cameras and tracking equipment, not limited to audio capture

文法句型

plant/place/hide + a listening device + [location]

sweep [location] + for + listening devices

discover/find + a listening device + [location]

用法筆記

The term appears almost exclusively in contexts of espionage, corporate security, and law enforcement. Unlike a general 'recording device', a 'listening device' always implies concealment and the absence of the speakers' awareness. Frequently appears in passive constructions with verbs like 'found' or 'discovered' plus a location preposition ('in', 'beneath', 'inside').

常見錯誤

❌The spy planted a listening tool in the hotel room.
✅The spy planted a listening device in the hotel room.
💡'Listening tool' is not a standard expression; the established collocation is 'listening device.'
❌He wore a hearing aid to secretly record the meeting.
✅He wore a listening device to secretly record the meeting.
💡A 'hearing aid' is a medical device for people with hearing loss, not a covert surveillance instrument.