headset

headset — noun

1. a device worn on the head that combines ear speakers for listening and a microph

1.nounB1
Definition

a device worn on the head that combines ear speakers for listening and a microphone for speaking, used for activities like computer gaming, phone calls, or virtual reality where you need to hear audio and talk at the same time.

Example

Anong put on her gaming headset before joining the team's online strategy meeting.

gaming context: put on a headset

The pilot spoke calmly into the headset while communicating with the control tower.

domain: aviation communication

Common collocations
  • gaming headset
  • wireless headset
  • VR headset
  • wearing a headset
  • put on a headset
  • headset microphone
Synonyms
  • headphones

    focuses on listening only; may or may not include a microphone

  • earphones

    smaller and often in-ear; less likely to have a built-in microphone

  • gaming headset

    a headset designed specifically for video games, often with surround sound and a flexible microphone arm

Grammar Patterns

wear / put on / use + headset

headset + for + [purpose]

Usage Note

Common in contexts requiring two-way communication — gaming, customer service, aviation, remote work, and virtual reality. For listening to music alone without speaking, 'headphones' is the more typical term.

Common Mistakes

I put on my headset to listen to music on the bus.
I put on my headphones to listen to music on the bus.
'Headset' implies a microphone for talking; for passive listening, use 'headphones.'

Word family

  • headsets
    plural nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A 'headset' always includes a microphone for speaking, whereas 'headphones' are designed purely for listening — you might wear headphones to enjoy music on a plane but wear a headset to chat with teammates during a game. 'Earphones' and 'earbuds' are smaller and fit inside the ear rather than over it; they can be wired or wireless but usually lack a boom microphone. Earbuds often come with a small in-line mic for calls, but people still call them 'earbuds', not 'headset.' If you need a microphone arm and padded ear cups for long conversations, the right word is 'headset.' Example: 'I use headphones for music and a headset for work calls.'

headphonesearphonesearbudsheadset ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • headset microphone
  • headset cable
  • headset jack
  • headset volume

Phrases

  • put on a headset
  • take off the headset
  • wear a headset

Prepositions

  • headset with [feature]
  • speak into the headset

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound of 'head' (from Old English 'hēafod') and 'set' (from Old English 'settan', later influenced by the noun 'set' meaning a collection of things). The word first appeared around the 1910s as 'head-set' (two words) for the early telephone and radio equipment worn by operators, consisting of earphones and a mouthpiece on a band across the head. It became a single word by the mid-20th century.