ear

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
a
: the characteristic vertebrate organ of hearing and equilibrium consisting in the typical mammal of a sound-collecting outer ear separated by the tympanic membrane from a sound-transmitting middle ear that in turn is separated from a sensory inner ear by membranous fenestrae
b
: any of various organs (as of a fish) capable of detecting vibratory motion
2
: the external ear of humans and most mammals
3
a
: the sense or act of hearing
b
: acuity of hearing
c
: sensitivity to musical tone and pitch
also : the ability to retain and reproduce music that has been heard
d
: sensitivity to nuances of language especially as revealed in the command of verbal melody and rhythm or in the ability to render a spoken idiom accurately
4
: something resembling a mammalian ear in shape, position, or function: such as
a
: a projecting part (such as a lug or handle)
b
: either of a pair of tufts of lengthened feathers on the head of some birds
5
: attention, awareness
lend an ear
6
: a space in the upper corner of the front page of a periodical (such as a newspaper) usually containing advertising for the periodical itself or a weather forecast
7
: a person who listens : listener
looking for a friendly ear

Illustration of ear

Illustration of ear
  • 1 pinna
  • 2 lobe
  • 3 auditory meatus
  • 4 tympanic membrane
  • 5 eustachian tube
  • 6 cochlea
  • 7 auditory nerve
  • 8 stapes
  • 9 semicircular canals
  • 10 incus
  • 11 malleus
  • 12 bones of skull

ear

2 of 3

noun (2)

: the fruiting spike of a cereal (such as wheat or corn) including both the seeds and protective structures

ear

3 of 3

verb

eared; earing; ears

intransitive verb

: to form ears in growing
the rye should be earing up
Phrases
all ears
: eagerly listening
if anybody spoke of that grisly matter, I was all ears … and alert to hear what might be saidMark Twain
by ear
: without reference to or memorization of written music
plays by ear
in one ear and out the other
: through one's mind without making an impression
everything you say to him goes in one ear and out the other
on one's ear
: in or into a state of irritation, shock, or discord
set the racing world on its ear by breaking the record
up to one's ears
: deeply involved : heavily implicated
up to his ears in shady deals

Examples of ear in a Sentence

Noun (1) I'm trying to get the boss's ear in order to ask for a raise in my pay
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The setup process guides the listener through a calibration process that fine-tunes the audio output based on the sensitivity of each ear. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 This speaker, available for $1,299, is also portable, which means backyard barbecues, tailgates, and picnics will have a pitch-perfect soundtrack with a sound sure to satisfy even the most critical of ears. Melissa Locker, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024
Verb
He had been shot in the head, stabbed nearly 30 times, and his throat was cut from ear to ear. Caitlin McGlade, The Arizona Republic, 8 Oct. 2014 The crowd erupted into thunderous applause that lasted several seconds, and Rudolph grinned ear to ear, drawing a deep breath to compose herself. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ear 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ere, from Old English ēare; akin to Old High German ōra ear, Latin auris, Greek ous

Noun (2)

Middle English er, ere, going back to Old English ēar (Northumbrian æhher), going back to Germanic *ahaz (whence also Old Frisian ār "ear of grain," Middle Dutch aer, aere, Old Saxon ehir, Old High German ah, ahar, ehir, Old Norse ax, Gothic ahs), going back to Indo-European *h2eḱ-es-, s-stem derivative from the base *h2eḱ- "sharp, pointed" (in reference to a spike of grain perhaps originally referring to the awns, then generalized to the entire spike), whence also Latin acer-, acus "husks of grain or legumes, chaff," Tocharian B āke "end," Tocharian A āk — more at edge entry 1

Note: The diverse outcomes in Germanic assume generalization throughout the paradigm of the original stem variants: most forms from oblique stems *ahuz-, ahiz-, but Old High German ah, from nominative *ahaz and Old Norse ax, Gothic ahs, from a syncopated stem *ah-sa-.

Verb

Middle English eren, derivative of ere ear entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ear was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ear

Cite this Entry

“Ear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ear. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ear

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: the organ of hearing and balance of vertebrates that in the typical mammal consists of a sound-collecting outer ear separated by an eardrum from a sound-carrying middle ear that in turn is separated from an inner ear containing neurons that receive sound and send nerve impulses to the brain
b
2
a
: the sense or act of hearing
b
: an ability to understand and appreciate something heard
an ear for languages
3
: willing or sympathetic attention
lend an ear
4
: something resembling an ear in shape or position
eared
ˈi(ə)rd
adjective
earless
ˈi(ə)r-ləs
adjective

ear

2 of 2 noun
: the seed-bearing head of a cereal (as corn) including both the seeds and protective structures
ear verb
Etymology

Noun

Old English ēare "organ of hearing"

Noun

Old English ēar "seed part of a plant"

Medical Definition

ear

noun
1
: the characteristic vertebrate organ of hearing and equilibrium consisting in the typical mammal of a sound-collecting outer ear separated by the tympanic membrane from a sound-transmitting middle ear that in turn is separated from a sensory inner ear by membranous fenestrae
2
a
: the external ear of humans and most mammals
b
: a human earlobe
had her ears pierced
3
a
: the sense or act of hearing
b
: acuity of hearing

More from Merriam-Webster on ear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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