earing

SayEER-ing/ˈɪəɹɪŋ/

7 meanings of earing

1
nouncountable
A rope that holds the top corners of a sail to the pole above.
Like a string tying the top corner of a flag to its pole.
The sailor pulled the earing tight to hold the sail's corner in place.
Each earing was checked before the ship left port.
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2
nouncountable
A rope used to pull a sail's reefing loop up to the pole above.
Like a string you pull to gather up part of a curtain.
He hauled on the earing until the reef came snug against the yard.
The crew tightened each earing as the wind rose.
Note
3
nouncountable
A rope that ties the corners of a deck cover to the ship's rails or ropes.
Like a rope tying down the corner of a tent so it stays flat.
They fixed each earing so the awning would not flap in the breeze.
The earing came loose and one corner of the cover sagged.
Note
4
noununcountable
Wavy edges that form on sheet metal when it is stretched into a deep shape.
Like the wavy edge you get when you press flat dough into a cup shape.
The cup showed earing along its rim after pressing.
Engineers reduced the earing by changing the metal sheet.
Note
5
verb
The -ing form of ear. Use it after am, is, are, was or were, or to name the action.
The wheat is earing early this year after the warm spring.
The corn was earing when the storm flattened the field.
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Less common meanings

6
nounarchaic
A ring or other piece of jewelry worn on the ear.
Like a small ring or stone that hangs from your ear.
She wore a small gold earing in each ear.
Gustave. (Gets up.) What? I believe you are wearing my earings yet!
1910, August Strindberg, The CreditorHere, earings means earrings, jewelry worn on the ear.
Note
7
nounarchaic
The act of plowing a piece of land once.
Like turning over the soil in a garden before planting.
The field got its first earing in early spring.
Sixe dayes thou shalt worke, but on the seuenth day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in haruest thou shalt rest.
1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, earing means plowing the land.
Note

earing is a form of ear

ear, verb: To grow the seed-bearing heads, the way wheat or corn does. Full entry

Forms: earears he/she/itearing -ing formeared past tense, past participle
Spelling: ear → earing: add -ing

Practice

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