DictionaryAI

ear

SayEER/ɪɹ//ɪə̯/

Pluralears

15 meanings of ear

Practice

  1. 1
    body partnouncountable
    The organ of hearing and balance, especially the outer part on each side of the head.

    The boxer's left ear was swollen and misshapen after the fight.

    He tucked the pencil behind his ear.

  2. 2
    sense of hearingnouncountable
    The faculty of hearing and perception of sound; also a refined skill or good taste in listening to and judging music.

    Decades of conducting gave her an unerring ear for pitch.

    His ears, still sharp at eighty, caught the off-key note at once.

    UsageAs a skill, singular with for: a good ear for music; also play by ear.

    Similarhearing

    Note

    Tennyson's "not all ungrateful to thine ear" (1850) shows the older poetic use, where the ear stands for the listener's taste.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

  3. 3
    grain headnouncountable
    The fruiting part of a cereal plant, where the grains develop, as in wheat, barley, or corn.

    Each ear of corn held neat rows of yellow kernels.

    By late summer the barley ears had turned heavy and golden.

    UsageWith of: an ear of corn, ears of wheat.

    Similarhead, spike, cob

  4. 4
    willing listenernouncountable
    A willing, favorable hearing; the attention or favor of someone prepared to listen to you.

    The young advisor soon gained the king's ear and helped shape royal policy.

    Lend me your ear for a moment, because I have something important to say.

    UsageSet phrases: lend an ear, give ear; have someone's ear means having their attention, often with a chance to influence them.

    Similarattention, favor, confidence

    Note

    Here the ear is something granted or withheld rather than owned. Bacon writes in 1625 that Dionysius "would give no ear to his suit," and Shakespeare's "lend me your ears" asks for the same favor.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • Bacon's passage dates to the 1625 publication of Apophthegmes New and Old. graysinn.org.uk
    • Bacon uses the quoted words in narration about Dionysius refusing Aristippus's request. en.wikisource.org
    • The quotation occurs in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, spoken by Antony as a request to listen. folger.edu
  5. 5
    nouncountable
    A projecting part on an object that resembles an animal's ear in shape or position, serving as a lug, handle, or (on a spade) a foot-rest.

    Grip the ear on each side to lift the heavy cauldron safely.

    Cast-iron pans often have a small ear opposite the main handle for a second grip.

    Similarlug, handle, tab

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of ear apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 4–5, 7–8

From Middle English ere, from Old English ēare ("ear"), from Proto-West Germanic *auʀā and Proto-Germanic *ausô. It comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws, and is related to Dutch oor, German Ohr, Swedish öra, Latin auris, and Ancient Greek oûs.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 9 facts

Meanings 3, 6

From Middle English eere, from Old English ēar, from Proto-West Germanic *ahaʀ and Proto-Germanic *ahaz, from a Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eḱ- ("sharp"). It is related to Dutch aar, German Ähre, and Latin acus ("needle; husk").

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

  • Ear in the grain sense derives from Middle English eere. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Middle English word derives from Old English ēar. en.wiktionary.org
  • Old English ēar derives from Proto-West Germanic *ahaʀ, itself from Proto-Germanic *ahaz. en.wiktionary.org
  • Proto-Germanic *ahaz ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eḱ-, meaning sharp. en.wiktionary.org
  • Ear is related to Dutch aar and German Ähre. en.wiktionary.org
  • Ear is related to Latin acus, with the meanings needle and husk. en.wiktionary.org
Meaning 9

Proto-Indo-European *h₂erh₃- ("to plow") developed into Proto-Germanic *arjaną and Proto-West Germanic *arjan, then Old English erian and Middle English eren.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts