ear

¹ American  

[eer] / ɪər /

verb (used with object)

British Dialect.

1. to plow; cultivate.

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ear ² American  

[eer] / ɪər /

noun

1. the part of a cereal plant, as corn, wheat, etc., that contains the flowers and hence the fruit, grains, or kernels.

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verb (used without object)

1. to form or put forth ears.

ear ³ American  

[eer] / ɪər /

noun

1. the organ of hearing and equilibrium in vertebrates, in humans consisting of an external ear that gathers sound vibrations, a middle ear in which the vibrations resonate against the tympanic membrane, and a fluid-filled internal ear that maintains balance and that conducts the tympanic vibrations to the auditory nerve, which transmits them as impulses to the brain.

2. the external ear alone.

   The hat completely covers his ears.

3. the sense of hearing.

   sounds that are pleasing to the ear.

4. keen or sensitive perception of the differences of sound, especially sensitiveness to the quality and correctness of musical sounds.

   an ear for music; a violinist with a good ear.

5. attention; heed.

   to gain a person's ear.

6. any part that resembles or suggests an ear in position or form, as the handle of a teacup.

7. Architecture.  crossette.

8. Journalism.  a small box in either upper corner of a newspaper page, usually the front page or split page, containing the name of or a symbol for the edition, a weather bulletin, a slogan, or the like.

9. Furniture.

   1. a decorative feature at the upper end of a leg.

   2. one of the decorative features at each end of a crest rail.

10. Slang.  ears, earphones.

11. ear tuft.

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idioms

1. bend someone's ear,  to talk to someone uninterruptedly and often so as to induce boredom.

   He'll bend your ear for hours if given the chance.

2. have / keep one's ear to the ground,  to keep well-informed about current trends; be shrewd or astute.

   Because she had her ear to the ground, she made a large fortune in stock speculation.

3. pin someone's ears back,  to give a person a sound beating; defeat a person utterly.

   If he doesn't behave himself, I'll pin his ears back.

4. by ear,  without reference to written or printed music.

   to play the piano by ear.

5. give ear,  to pay attention; listen carefully. Also lend an ear

6. fall on deaf ears,  to be disregarded; pass unheeded.

   Their pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears.

7. be all ears,  to give all one's attention; listen.

   We were all ears as the scandal was revealed.

8. go in one ear and out the other,  to be heard but ignored; be put out of mind.

   My repeated warnings to her went in one ear and out the other.

9. turn a deaf ear to,  to refuse to listen to or consider (a request, petition, etc.).

   He turns a deaf ear to requests for loans.

10. up to one's ears,  deeply involved or occupied to full capacity.

    We are up to our ears in work.

11. wet behind the ears.  wet.

12. set on one's ear / ears,  to excite or stir up; shock; amaze.

    The presence of the movie star set the whole town on its ear.

13. have one's ears on,  to be listening to a CB radio, police radio, walkie-talkie, etc.

14. set by the ears,  to cause to dispute or quarrel.

    He's a troublemaker who keeps trying to set the two other children by the ears.

15. bend an ear,  to listen attentively.

    to bend an ear to a request for aid.

ear ¹ British  

/ ɪə /

noun

1. the part of a cereal plant, such as wheat or barley, that contains the seeds, grains, or kernels

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verb

1. (intr) (of cereal plants) to develop such parts

ear ² British  

/ ɪə /

noun

1. the organ of hearing and balance in higher vertebrates and of balance only in fishes. In man and other mammals it consists of three parts See external ear middle ear internal ear

2. the outermost cartilaginous part of the ear (pinna) in mammals, esp man

3. the sense of hearing

4. sensitivity to musical sounds, poetic diction, etc

   he has an ear for music

5. attention, esp favourable attention; consideration; heed (esp in the phrases give ear to, lend an ear )

6. an object resembling the external ear in shape or position, such as a handle on a jug

7. Also called (esp Brit): earpiece.  a display box at the head of a newspaper page, esp the front page, for advertisements, etc

8. very attentive; listening carefully

9. without reading from written music

10. slang  to reprimand severely

11. to be ignored or pass unnoticed

12. to be stubbornly disobedient

13. informal  a sharp rebuke

14. to be in a position to influence

    he has the ear of the president

15. heard but unheeded

16. to be or try to be well informed about current trends and opinions

17. informal  to ruin disastrously

18. one is aware of being the topic of another's conversation

19. informal  dismissed unceremoniously

20. 1. to act according to the demands of a situation rather than to a plan; improvise

    2. to perform a musical piece on an instrument without written music

21. to start to listen attentively; become interested

22. to cause disagreement or commotion

23. informal  a blow on the ear delivered as punishment, in anger, etc

24. to be deliberately unresponsive

25. informal  deeply involved, as in work or debt

26. informal  inexperienced; naive; immature

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ear ¹ Scientific  

/ îr /

1. The seed-bearing spike of a cereal plant, such as corn or wheat.

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ear ² Scientific  

/ îr /

1. The vertebrate organ of hearing, which in mammals is usually composed of three parts: the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. The organs of balance are also located in the ear.

2. An invertebrate organ analogous to the vertebrate ear.

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ear Cultural  

1. The organ of hearing, which also plays a role in maintaining balance. It is divided into the outer ear (from the outside to the eardrum), the middle ear, and the inner ear.

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ear More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing ear

• all ears
• believe one's ears
• bend someone's ear
• can't make a silk purse out of sow's ear
• coming out of one's ears
• cute as a button (bug's ear)
• fall on deaf ears
• flea in one's ear
• have someone's ear
• in one ear and out the other
• lend one's ear
• music to one's ears
• out on one's ear
• pin someone's ears back
• play by ear
• prick up one's ears
• put a bug in someone's ear
• turn a deaf ear
• up to one's ears
• walls have ears
• wet behind the ears

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Other Word Forms

• earless adjective
• earlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of ear¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English eren, erien, Old English erian, erigan, erigean; cognate with Old Norse erja, Gothic arjan, Latin arāre, Lithuanian árti, Greek aroûn, all meaning “to plow”

Origin of ear¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English ere, er, Old English ēar, æhher, eher; cognate with German Ahre, Old Norse ax (from unrecorded ahiz ), Gothic ahs (from unrecorded ahsis), Latin acus “husk”

Origin of ear¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English ere, yere, yare, Old English ēare; cognate with Old Norse eyra, German Ohr, Gothic auso, Latin auris (from unrecorded ausis ), Lithuanian ausìs, Old Irish āu (from unrecorded əusos-), Greek oûs

Example Sentences

According to camera footage obtained by Johnson, the bear appears to have a yellow tag on its left ear.

From Los Angeles Times

Whippy action, retro sky-blue Kent kit - Spencer's first ball whistled past the ear of Adrian Dale.

From BBC

However, the Irish coach was later shown a red card in the 57th minute when his off-field comments again reached the ear of the referee.

From Barron's

Rookie mistake number one, though: not bringing industrial strength ear plugs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bold words when head coach Frank had the criticism of Tottenham Hotspur's fans ringing in his ears after what they perceived as a tactical surrender in the north London derby defeat at Arsenal on Sunday.

From BBC

Related Words

• mind
• taste