The internal auditory meatus (also internal acoustic meatus, internal auditory canal, and internal acoustic canal) is a canal in the petrous bone of the temporal bone of the skull that carries nerves from inside the cranium towards the middle and inner ear compartments namely cranial nerve VII and cranial nerve VIII.

Alternate def: The internal acoustic meatus (or internal auditory meatus ) is an opening on the medial surface of the petrous temporal bone. It is through this passageway that the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) and vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII) pass to reach their sites of innervation. The vestibulocochlear nerve divides at the internal acoustic meatus to continue as separate vestibular and cochlear components. [MURDOCH:908]