External acoustic meatus is a term used in anatomy to describe the canal-shaped opening in the human ear, also known as the ear canal. There are a number of synonyms that are commonly used for this anatomical feature, including auditory canal, ear channel, external auditory canal, external auditory meatus, and ear passage. In medical literature, the term external auditory meatus is frequently used to describe this structure. This is because the external auditory canal is the area where sound enters the ear and is channeled to the middle ear, making it a critically important component of the human auditory system.