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Listening

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lis⋅ten

  [lis-uhn]
Use Listening in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.
2. to pay attention; heed; obey (often fol. by to): Children don't always listen to their parents.
3. to wait attentively for a sound (usually fol. by for): to listen for sounds of their return.
4. Informal. to convey a particular impression to the hearer; sound: The new recording doesn't listen as well as the old one.
–verb (used with object)
5. Archaic. to give ear to; hear.
—Verb phrase
6. listen in,
a. to listen to a radio or television broadcast: Listen in tomorrow for the names of the lottery winners.
b. to overhear a conversation or communication, esp. by telephone; eavesdrop: Someone was listening in to his private calls.
Origin:
bef. 950; ME lis(t)nen, OE hlysnan; c. MHG lüsenen, Sw lyssna; akin to list 5

Related forms:
lis⋅ten⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. See hear.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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lis·ten   (lĭs'ən)   
intr.v.   lis·tened, lis·ten·ing, lis·tens

  1. To make an effort to hear something: listen to the radio; listening for the bell.

  2. To pay attention; heed: "She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit" (Maya Angelou).

n.  An act of listening: Would you like to give the CD a listen before buying it?
Phrasal Verb(s):
listen in

  1. To listen to a conversation between others; eavesdrop.

  2. To tune in and listen to a broadcast.


[Middle English listenen, alteration (influenced by listen, to list, listen; see list4) of Old English hlysnan; see kleu- in Indo-European roots.]
lis'ten·er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

listen 
O.E. hlysnan "to listen," from P.Gmc. *khlusinon (cf. O.H.G. hlosen "to listen," Ger. lauschen "to listen"), from PIE base *kleu- "hearing, to hear" (cf. Skt. srnoti "hears," srosati "hears, obeys;" Avestan sraothra "ear;" M.Pers. srod "hearing, sound;" Lith. klausau "to hear," slove "splendor, honor;" O.C.S. slusati "to hear," slava "fame, glory," slovo "word;" Gk. klyo "hear, be called," kleos "report, rumor, fame glory," kleio "make famous;" L. cluere "to hear oneself called, be spoken of;" O.Ir. ro-clui-nethar "hears," clunim "I hear," clu "fame, glory," cluada "ears;" Welsh clywaf "I hear;" O.E. hlud "loud," hleoðor "tone, tune;" O.H.G. hlut "sound;" Goth. hiluþ "listening, attention"). The -t- probably is by influence of O.E. hlystan (see list (v.2)). For vowel evolution, see bury.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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