Ear

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ɪə̯/
• US IPA: /ɪɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophones: -eer

From Middle English ere, ȝhere, from Old English ēare ("ear"), from the voiced Verner alternant of Proto-Germanic *ausô ("ear") (compare Scots ear, West Frisian ear, Dutch oor, German Ohr, Swedish öra, Danish øre), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ous- (compare Old Irish áu, Latin auris, Lithuanian ausìs, Russian ухо, Albanian vesh, Ancient Greek οὖς, Old Armenian ունկն, Persian گوش ).

Full definition of ear

Noun

1. (countable) The organ of hearing, consisting of the pinna, auditory canal, eardrum, malleus, incus, stapes and cochlea.
2. (countable) The external part of the organ of hearing, the auricle.
• 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 4, Judge Short had gone to town, and Farrar was off for a three days' cruise up the lake. I was bitterly regretting I had not gone with him when the distant notes of a coach horn reached my ear, and I descried a four-in-hand winding its way up the inn road from the direction of Mohair.
3. (countable, slang) A police informant.
• 1976, Stirling Silliphant, Dean Riesner, Gail Morgan Hickman, The Enforcer (1976 movie).No I'm not kidding, and if you don't give it to me I'll let it out that you’re an ear.
4. The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power of discriminating between different tones.
• Tennysonsongs...not all ungrateful to thine ear
5. a good ear for music
6. The privilege of being kindly heard; favour; attention.
• Francis BaconDionysius...would give no ear to his suit.
• William ShakespeareFriends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
7. That which resembles in shape or position the ear of an animal; a prominence or projection on an object, usually for support or attachment; a lug; a handle.
   the ears of a tub, skillet, or dish;   The ears of a boat are outside kneepieces near the bow.
8. (architecture) An acroterium.
9. (architecture) A crossette.

Alternative forms

• ere

Derived terms

Verb

1. (humorous) To take in with the ears; to hear.
• Two Noble KinsmenI eared her language.

Middle English er, from Old English ēar, from Proto-Germanic *ahaz (compare West Frisian ier, Dutch aar, German Ähre), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ék- 'sharp' (compare Latin acus 'needle; husk', Tocharian B āk 'ear, awn', Old Church Slavonic ostĭ 'wheat spike, sharp point'). More at edge.

Noun

1. (countable) The fruiting body of a grain plant.He is in the fields, harvesting ears of corn.

Synonyms

• head
• spike

Verb

1. (intransitive) To put forth ears in growing; to form ears, as grain does.This corn ears well.

From Old English erian, from Proto-Germanic *arjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erh₃- ("to plough").

Verb

1. (archaic) To plough.
• 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II:That power I have, discharge; and let them goTo ear the land that hath some hope to grow,For I have none.

Anagrams

• are, era, ERA, Rae