Audiology

/ɔːdiˈɑːlədʒi/ noun

Definition

The science and medical field that studies hearing, hearing loss, and hearing aids.

Etymology

From Latin audire (to hear) + Greek -logia (study of). The field of audiology developed in the mid-20th century as electronic hearing aids became practical and the science of sound and hearing grew more sophisticated.

Kelly Says

Audiology is a young science—it basically didn't exist before hearing aids became common in the 1950s, so it's one of the few medical fields we can pinpoint exactly when it was invented!

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