noun
earplug (traditional jewellery); ear ornament
Archaic term for a type of earplug or ear ornament worn in the earlobe, especially popular during China's Han dynasty. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical contexts.
漢代の女性は耳当を身に着けていた。
Women in the Han dynasty wore earplugs as jewellery.
この耳当は古代中国の装飾品です。
This earplug is an ornament from ancient China.
From Chinese 耳璫 (ěrdāng), referring to a type of ear ornament. The exact derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with ear jewellery.