Auricle
/ˈɔːrɪkəl/noun
The external part of the ear; also, a small ear-shaped appendage in anatomy.
Did you know?Auricle comes from Latin auricula, the diminutive of auris “ear,” and the same ancient root also gave English words tied to hearing and ear-shaped forms across medicine and botany.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ews-
“to hear, perceive by ear”
Latin
Latin
auris
“ear”
Latin
Latin
auricula
“little ear; ear-shaped part”
Middle English
English
auricle
“the outer ear or a small ear-like appendage”
Modern English
English
auricle
“the external ear; in anatomy, an ear-shaped appendage”