prick (sth) up
— phrasal verb with prick uk/prɪk/us/prɪk/verb [ T ]
When an animal pricks its ears up, or when its ears prick up, it puts its ears up straight because it is listening carefully to a small sound or one that is far away.
If you prick up your ears, or if your ears prick up, you suddenly begin to listen very carefully because you have heard something interesting:
I overheard them mentioning my name and pricked up my ears.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal (non-human) behaviour
- accidental
- eusocial
- fledge
- lap
- maul
- migrant
- mob
- molt
- nest
- perch
- prey
- ruminate
- scratch
- shy
- skitter
- slaver 1
- stampede
- suckle
- torpor
- trot
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Raising and lowering
Using the ears