English▸ noun the organ of hearing and balance in humans and other vertebrates, especially the external part of this.
▪ an organ sensitive to sound in other animals.
▪ [in singular] an ability to recognize, appreciate, and reproduce sounds, especially music or language:
an ear for melody.
▪ used to refer to a person's willingness to listen and pay attention to something:
she offers a sympathetic ear to worried pet owners.
▪ an ear-shaped thing, especially the handle of a jug.
The ear of a mammal is composed of three parts. The outer or external ear consists of a fleshy external flap and a tube leading to the eardrum or tympanum. The middle ear is an air-filled cavity connected to the throat, containing three small linked bones that transmit vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. The inner ear is a complex fluid-filled labyrinth including the spiral cochlea (where vibrations are converted to nerve impulses) and the three semicircular canals (forming the organ of balance). The ears of other vertebrates are broadly similar.
– PHRASES
be all ears informal
be listening eagerly and attentively:
used to emphasize how directly a disastrous collapse or failure affects someone:
one is subconsciously aware of being talked about or criticized:
smile broadly:
have a substantial or excessive amount of something:
have access to and influence with someone:
be well informed about events and trends:
heard but disregarded or quickly forgotten:
not give one's full attention:
be dismissed or ejected ignominiously:
be heard or heard about by someone:
very busy with or deeply involved in:
be all ears informal
be listening eagerly and attentively:
I'm all ears, tell me about it.
around one's ears (also about one's ears) used to emphasize how directly a disastrous collapse or failure affects someone:
you can do the best research and write the most impressive business plan, and it can still fall around your ears
she brought her world crashing about her ears.
one's ears are burning one is subconsciously aware of being talked about or criticized:
certain officials in the police department will find their ears are burning before long.
grin from ear to ear (also smile from ear to ear) smile broadly:
you'll come out of the show grinning from ear to ear.
have something coming out of one's ears informal have a substantial or excessive amount of something:
that man's got money coming out of his ears.
have someone's ear have access to and influence with someone:
he claimed to have the prime minister's ear.
have an ear to the ground (also keep an ear to the ground) be well informed about events and trends:
the good leader has his ear to the ground and will know when real doubts are growing.
in one ear and out the other heard but disregarded or quickly forgotten:
whatever he tells me seems to go in one ear and out the other.
listen with half an ear not give one's full attention:
throughout the meeting Bobby only had listened with half an ear.
be out on one's ear informal be dismissed or ejected ignominiously:
if this check bounces, you're out on your ear.
reach someone's ears be heard or heard about by someone:
the sound of running feet reached my ears
one of those stories reached our ears.
up to one's ears in informal very busy with or deeply involved in:
I'm up to my ears in work here.
– ORIGIN Old English ēare, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch oor and German Ohr, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin auris and Greek ous.