Ear

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Ear, n. [AS. eáre; akin to OFries. áre, ár, OS. ra, D. oor, OHG. ra, G. ohr, Icel. eyra, Sw. öra, Dan. öre, Goth. auso, L. auris, Lith. ausis, Russ. ukho, Gr. ; cf. L. audire to hear, Gr. , Skr. av to favor , protect. Cf. Auricle, Orillon.].

•  The organ of hearing; the external ear.  [1913 Webster]

  " In man and the higher vertebrates, the organ of hearing is very complicated, and is divisible into three parts: the external ear, which includes the pinna or auricle and meatus or external opening; the middle ear, drum, or tympanum; and the internal ear, or labyrinth. The middle ear is a cavity connected by the Eustachian tube with the pharynx, separated from the opening of the external ear by the tympanic membrane, and containing a chain of three small bones, or ossicles, named malleus, incus, and stapes, which connect this membrane with the internal ear. The essential part of the internal ear where the fibers of the auditory nerve terminate, is the membranous labyrinth, a complicated system of sacs and tubes filled with a fluid (the endolymph), and lodged in a cavity, called the bony labyrinth, in the periotic bone. The membranous labyrinth does not completely fill the bony labyrinth, but is partially suspended in it in a fluid (the perilymph). The bony labyrinth consists of a central cavity, the vestibule, into which three semicircular canals and the canal of the cochlea (spirally coiled in mammals) open. The vestibular portion of the membranous labyrinth consists of two sacs, the utriculus and sacculus, connected by a narrow tube, into the former of which three membranous semicircular canals open, while the latter is connected with a membranous tube in the cochlea containing the organ of Corti. By the help of the external ear the sonorous vibrations of the air are concentrated upon the tympanic membrane and set it vibrating, the chain of bones in the middle ear transmits these vibrations to the internal ear, where they cause certain delicate structures in the organ of Corti, and other parts of the membranous labyrinth, to stimulate the fibers of the auditory nerve to transmit sonorous impulses to the brain."  [1913 Webster]
•  The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power of discriminating between different tones; as, a nice ear for music; -- in the singular only.  [1913 Webster]

  "Songs . . . not all ungrateful to thine ear."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which resembles in shape or position the ear of an animal; any prominence or projection on an object, -- usually one for support or attachment; a lug; a handle; as, the ears of a tub, a skillet, or dish. The ears of a boat are outside kneepieces near the bow. See Illust. of Bell.  [1913 Webster]
•  Same as Acroterium.  [1913 Webster]
•  Privilege of being kindly heard; favor; attention.  [1913 Webster]

  "Dionysius . . . would give no ear to his suit."  [1913 Webster]

  "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears."  [1913 Webster]

About the ears, in close proximity to; near at hand. -- By the ears, in close contest; as, to set by the ears; to fall together by the ears; to be by the ears. -- Button ear (in dogs), an ear which falls forward and completely hides the inside. -- Ear finger, the little finger. -- Ear of Dionysius, a kind of ear trumpet with a flexible tube; -- named from the Sicilian tyrant, who constructed a device to overhear the prisoners in his dungeons. -- Ear sand (Anat.), otoliths. See Otolith. -- Ear snail (Zoöl.), any snail of the genus Auricula and allied genera. -- Ear stones (Anat.), otoliths. See Otolith. -- Ear trumpet, an instrument to aid in hearing. It consists of a tube broad at the outer end, and narrowing to a slender extremity which enters the ear, thus collecting and intensifying sounds so as to assist the hearing of a partially deaf person. -- Ear vesicle (Zoöl.), a simple auditory organ, occurring in many worms, mollusks, etc. It consists of a small sac containing a fluid and one or more solid concretions or otocysts. -- Rose ear (in dogs), an ear which folds backward and shows part of the inside. -- To give ear to, to listen to; to heed, as advice or one advising. “Give ear unto my song.” Goldsmith. -- To have one's ear, to be listened to with favor. -- Up to the ears, deeply submerged; almost overwhelmed; as, to be in trouble up to one's ears. [Colloq.]

Ear, v. t. 

 To take in with the ears; to hear.  Two Noble Kinsmen.  [1913 Webster]

Ear, n. [AS. ear; akin to D. aar, OHG. ahir, G. ähre, Icel., Sw., & Dan. ax, Goth. ahs. . Cf. Awn, Edge.].

 The spike or head of any cereal (as, wheat, rye, barley, Indian corn, etc.), containing the kernels.  [1913 Webster]
"First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear."  [1913 Webster]

Ear, v. i. 

 To put forth ears in growing; to form ears, as grain; as, this corn ears well.  [1913 Webster]

Ear, v. t. [OE. erien, AS. erian; akin to OFries. era, OHG. erran, MHG. eren, ern, Prov. G. aren, ären, Icel. erja, Goth. arjan, Lith. arti, OSlav. orati, L. arare, Gr. . Cf. Arable.].

 To plow or till; to cultivate.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Ear, n.
1 a the organ of hearing and balance in man and vertebrates, esp. the external part of this. b an organ sensitive to sound in other animals.
2 the faculty for discriminating sounds (an ear for music).
3 an ear-shaped thing, esp. the handle of a jug.
4 listening, attention.

Idiom

all ears listening attentively. bring about one's ears bring down upon oneself. ear-drops 1 medicinal drops for the ear.
2 hanging earrings. ear lobe the lower soft pendulous external part of the ear. ear-piercing loud and shrill. ear-splitting excessively loud. ear-trumpet a trumpet-shaped device formerly used as a hearing-aid. give ear to listen to. have a person's ear receive a favourable hearing. have (or keep) an ear to the ground be alert to rumours or the trend of opinion. in one ear and out the other heard but disregarded or quickly forgotten. out on one's ear dismissed ignominiously. up to one's ears (often foll. by in) colloq. deeply involved or occupied.

Derivative

eared adj. (also in comb.). earless adj.

Ear, n. the seed-bearing head of a cereal plant.

Etymology

OE ear f. Gmc

THESAURUS

Ear

Eustachian tube, advertence, advertency, alertness, anvil, assiduity, assiduousness, attention, attention span, attentiveness, audibility, audience, audition, auditory apparatus, auditory canal, auditory meatus, auditory nerve, auditory ossicles, auditory tube, aural examination, aural sense, auricle, auscultation, awareness, basilar membrane, bilge, blain, bleb, blister, blob, bony labyrinth, boss, bow, bubble, bugging, bulb, bulge, bulla, bump, bunch, burl, button, cahot, care, cauliflower ear, chine, clump, cob, cochlea, concentration, conch, concha, condyle, conference, consciousness, consideration, convex, corncob, diligence, dowel, drumhead, eager attention, ear lobe, ear of corn, eardrum, earnestness, eavesdropping, electronic surveillance, endolymph, examination by ear, external ear, favorable attention, flange, flap, gall, gnarl, hammer, handle, hearing, heed, heedfulness, heeding, hill, hump, hunch, hushed attention, incus, inner ear, intentiveness, intentness, interview, jog, joggle, knob, knot, knur, knurl, lip, listening, listening in, lobe, lobule, loop, lug, lump, malleus, mark, mastoid process, mealie, middle ear, mind, mindfulness, mole, mountain, nevus, note, notice, nub, nubbin, nubble, observance, observation, organ of Corti, outer ear, oval window, papilloma, peg, perilymph, pinna, rapt attention, regard, regardfulness, remark, respect, rib, ridge, ring, round window, secondary eardrum, semicircular canals, sense of hearing, shell, shoulder, spike, spine, stapes, stirrup, stud, style, tab, thought, tryout, tubercle, tubercule, tympanic cavity, tympanic membrane, tympanum, verruca, vesicle, vestibule, wale, wart, welt, wiretapping

ROGET THESAURUS

Ear

Hearing

N hearing, audition, auscultation, eavesdropping, audibility, acute ear, nice ear, delicate ear, quick ear, sharp ear, correct ear, musical ear, ear for music, ear, auricle, lug, acoustic organs, auditory apparatus, eardrum, tympanum, tympanic membrane, ear trumpet, speaking trumpet, hearing aid, stethoscope, earshot, hearing distance, hearing, hearing range, sound, carrying distance, telephone, phone, telephone booth, intercom, house phone, radiotelephone, radiophone, wireless, wireless telephone, mobile telephone, car radio, police radio, two-way radio, walkie-talkie, handie-talkie, citizen's band, CB, amateur radio, ham radio, short-wave radio, police band, ship-to-shore radio, airplane radio, control tower communication, (communication), electronic devices, phonograph, gramophone, megaphone, phonorganon, microphone, directional microphone, mike, hand mike, lapel microphone, phonograph needle, stylus, diamond stylus, pickup, reading head (electronic devices), hearer, auditor, listener, eavesdropper, listener-in, auditory, audience, otology, otorhinolaryngology, otologist, otorhinolaryngologist, hearing, auditory, auricular, acoustic, phonic, arrectis auribus, Int, hark, hark ye!, hear!, list, listen!, O yes!, Oyez!, listen up, listen here!, hear ye!, attention!, achtung.