earache /ir″āk/ [AS, eare + acan, to hurt] , a pain in the ear, sensed as sharp, dull, burning, intermittent, or constant. The cause is not necessarily a disease of the ear, because infections and other disorders of the nose, oral cavity, larynx, and temporomandibular joint can produce referred pain in the ear. Also called otalgia, otodynia. See also referred pain.
