earear /ɪr/ ●●● S1 W2 noun 1
PART OF YOUR BODY [countable] one of the two organs on either side of your head that you hear with, or just the part of these organs that you can see from the outside: a boy with big ears Stop shouting in my ear! an infection in the inner ear2HEARING [countable, uncountable] the ability to hear sounds: The new recording technique fools the ear into thinking sounds are coming from different parts of the room. Wow, you really have good ears. I didn’t hear anything at all. To my untrained ears, the music sounded wonderful.3CORN [countable] science, biology the part of a cereal plant, especially a corn plant, where the grain grows: an ear of corn4have an ear for music/languages etc. (also have a good ear for music/languages etc.) to be very good at hearing, recognizing, and copying sounds from music, languages, etc.: The author has an ear for the way present-day New Yorkers talk.5grin/smile etc. from ear to ear to smile a lot because you are very happy: Brandon came in grinning from ear to ear.6go in one ear and out the other informal to be heard and then forgotten immediately: Whatever I say to him goes in one ear and out the other.7by ear by listening, and without looking at something written down: He learned to play the piano by ear. → see also play it by ear at play1 (13)8be up to your ears in something to be very busy with something, or to have too much of something: I’m up to my ears in work right now. Can I call you back?9be all ears informal to be very interested in listening to someone: Go ahead – I’m all ears.10have something coming out your ears informal to have so much of something that you cannot deal with it all: We’ve got tomatoes coming out our ears this summer.11be out on your ear informal to be forced to leave a place, especially because of something you have done wrong: If we can’t pay the rent we’ll be out on our ear.12have somebody’s ear to be able to get someone important to listen to what you have to say, because he or she trusts you: He claims to have the president’s ear.13keep your/an ear to the ground (also keep an ear open) to make sure that you always know what is happening or is going to happen in a situation: I haven’t heard anything, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground.14shut/close your ears to something to refuse to listen to something, especially to bad news: The administration has closed its ears to economists who criticize its policies.15somebody’s ears are burning humorous used to say that you are talking about someone who is not with you and who cannot hear you: I bet your ears were burning – Tom and I were just talking about you.[Origin: (1, 2) Old English eare] → see also bend somebody’s ear at bend1 (6), turn a deaf ear at deaf (4), lend an ear at lend (6), be music to somebody’s ears at music (4), wet behind the ears at wet1 (4)
PART OF YOUR BODY [countable] one of the two organs on either side of your head that you hear with, or just the part of these organs that you can see from the outside: a boy with big ears Stop shouting in my ear! an infection in the inner ear2HEARING [countable, uncountable] the ability to hear sounds: The new recording technique fools the ear into thinking sounds are coming from different parts of the room. Wow, you really have good ears. I didn’t hear anything at all. To my untrained ears, the music sounded wonderful.3CORN [countable] science, biology the part of a cereal plant, especially a corn plant, where the grain grows: an ear of corn4have an ear for music/languages etc. (also have a good ear for music/languages etc.) to be very good at hearing, recognizing, and copying sounds from music, languages, etc.: The author has an ear for the way present-day New Yorkers talk.5grin/smile etc. from ear to ear to smile a lot because you are very happy: Brandon came in grinning from ear to ear.6go in one ear and out the other informal to be heard and then forgotten immediately: Whatever I say to him goes in one ear and out the other.7by ear by listening, and without looking at something written down: He learned to play the piano by ear. → see also play it by ear at play1 (13)8be up to your ears in something to be very busy with something, or to have too much of something: I’m up to my ears in work right now. Can I call you back?9be all ears informal to be very interested in listening to someone: Go ahead – I’m all ears.10have something coming out your ears informal to have so much of something that you cannot deal with it all: We’ve got tomatoes coming out our ears this summer.11be out on your ear informal to be forced to leave a place, especially because of something you have done wrong: If we can’t pay the rent we’ll be out on our ear.12have somebody’s ear to be able to get someone important to listen to what you have to say, because he or she trusts you: He claims to have the president’s ear.13keep your/an ear to the ground (also keep an ear open) to make sure that you always know what is happening or is going to happen in a situation: I haven’t heard anything, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground.14shut/close your ears to something to refuse to listen to something, especially to bad news: The administration has closed its ears to economists who criticize its policies.15somebody’s ears are burning humorous used to say that you are talking about someone who is not with you and who cannot hear you: I bet your ears were burning – Tom and I were just talking about you.[Origin: (1, 2) Old English eare] → see also bend somebody’s ear at bend1 (6), turn a deaf ear at deaf (4), lend an ear at lend (6), be music to somebody’s ears at music (4), wet behind the ears at wet1 (4)