ear

n. countable

A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈiɹ// UK //ˈiə// ear

Archaic General-service Humorous Slang

n. the part of your body that you use for hearing. It can also mean the ability to hear and understand music or languages well.

n. the organ of hearing and equilibrium in vertebrates; also used metonymically to describe an innate sensitivity to musical pitch or linguistic nuance.

SIMPLE

She whispered a secret into my ear.

CONTEXTUAL

The musician has a great ear for melody and can play any song after hearing it once.

COMPLEX

While the external ear collects sound waves, the delicate structures of the middle and inner ear are responsible for converting those vibrations into nerve impulses.

Synonyms

Etymology 1

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws Proto-Germanic *ausô Proto-West Germanic *auʀā Old English ēare Middle English ere English ear From Middle English ere, eare, from Old English ēare (“ear”), from Proto-West Germanic auʀā, from the voiced Verner alternant of Proto-Germanic ausô (“ear”) (compare Scots ere, er, eir, West Frisian ear, Dutch oor, German Ohr, Swedish öra, Danish øre), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws (compare Old Irish áu, Latin auris, Lithuanian ausi̇̀s, Russian у́хо (úxo), Albanian vesh, Ancient Greek οὖς (oûs), and Old Armenian ունկն (unkn).

Etymology 2

From Middle English eere, er, from Old English ēar (Northumbrian dialect æhher), from Proto-West Germanic ahaʀ, from Proto-Germanic ahaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”). See also West Frisian ier, Dutch aar, German Ähre; also Latin acus (“needle; husk”), Tocharian B āk (“ear, awn”), Old Church Slavonic ость (ostĭ, “wheat spike, sharp point”). More at edge.

Etymology 3

From Middle English eren, from Old English erian, from Proto-West Germanic arjan, from Proto-Germanic arjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erh₃- (“to plough”).

Usage

Commonly used in the singular when referring to talent ('an ear for') and in the plural when referring to the physical organs.

Idioms21 entries