heard

1. 1
   verb

   Simple past and past participle of hear.

   The committee heard several witnesses before reaching its decision.

   Complaints about the noise had been heard for months.

   Note

   One spelling does double duty here. It is both the simple past (she heard a noise) and the participle behind the perfect and the passive (she has heard; the case was heard). Every sense of hear carries over, so heard of reports learning about something, heard from reports being contacted, and a prayer that was heard is one that was granted.

2. 2
   adjective

   Perceived by the ear; taken in through the sense of hearing.

   The heard version of the speech differed from the printed transcript.

   Researchers compared heard syllables with read ones in their study.

   Note

   A participle pressed into service as an adjective, mostly at home in research prose that contrasts what reaches the ear with what reaches the eye. Li Huang and James Lambert (2019) write of "heard information" that helps tell Malay from Singapore English. It sits before its noun and does not grade: nothing is more heard or very heard than something else.

3. 3
   interjectioncolloquial

   Used to signal that you have understood and accepted what was just said.

   "The order's ready for pickup." "Heard, thanks."

   Heard, boss. The report will be on your desk by noon.

   Similarunderstood, roger

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