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hear

[heer]

Example Sentences Origin

verb (used with object)

to perceive by the ear: Didn't you hear the doorbell?

to learn by the ear or by being told; be informed of: to hear news.

to listen to; give or pay attention to: They refused to hear our side of the argument.

to be among the audience at or of (something): to hear a recital.

to give a formal, official, or judicial hearing to (something); consider officially, as a judge, sovereign, teacher, or assembly: to hear a case.

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to take or listen to the evidence or testimony of (someone): to hear the defendant.

to listen to with favor, assent, or compliance.

(of a computer) to perceive by speech recognition.

COLLAPSE

verb (used without object)

to be capable of perceiving sound by the ear; have the faculty of perceiving sound vibrations.

10.

to receive information by the ear or otherwise: to hear from a friend.

11.

to listen with favor, assent, or compliance (often followed by of): I will not hear of your going.

12.

(of a computer) to be capable of perceiving by speech recognition.

13.

(used interjectionally in the phrase Hear! Hear! to express approval, as of a speech).

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Hear is one of our favorite verbs.

So is peculate. Does it mean:

to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.

to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.

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Origin:
before 950; Middle English heren, Old English hēran, hīeran; cognate with Dutch horen, German hören, Old Norse heyra, Gothic hausjan; perhaps akin to Greek akoúein (see acoustic)

Related forms

hear·a·ble, adjective

hear·er, noun

half-heard, adjective

out·hear, verb (used with object), -heard, -hear·ing.

re·hear, verb, -heard, -hear·ing.

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un·hear·a·ble, adjective

well-heard, adjective

COLLAPSE

Can be confused: 1. hear, here (see synonym note at the current entry); 2. heard, herd.

Synonyms
1, 2. attend. Hear, listen apply to the perception of sound. To hear is to have such perception by means of the auditory sense: to hear distant bells. To listen is to give attention in order to hear and understand the meaning of a sound or sounds: to listen to what is being said; to listen for a well-known footstep. 4. attend. 7. regard, heed.

Antonyms
7. disregard.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To hear

Example Sentences

When you hear a pack of wolves calling, you don't pay attention to anything else.

We could hear the orchestra begin the overture.

We don't always hear echoes, of course; the situation has to be just right.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

hear (hɪə)

—vb (when intr, sometimes foll by of or about; when tr, may take a clause as object) (when intr, usually foll by of and used with a negative) (foll by from) , hears, hearing, heard
1.	(tr) to perceive (a sound) with the sense of hearing
2.	(tr; may take a clause as object) to listen to: did you hear what I said?
3.	to be informed (of); receive information (about): to hear of his success; have you heard?
4.	law to give a hearing to (a case)
5.	to listen (to) with favour, assent, etc: she wouldn't hear of it
6.	to receive a letter, news, etc (from)
7.	hear! hear! an exclamation used to show approval of something said
8.	dialect hear tell to be told (about); learn (of)

[Old English hieran; related to Old Norse heyra, Gothic hausjan, Old High German hōren, Greek akouein]

'hearable

—*adj*

'hearer

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

hear

O.E. heran (Anglian), (ge)hieran, hyran (W.Saxon), from P.Gmc. *khauzjianan (cf. O.N. hegra, O.Fris. hora, Du. horen, Ger. hören, Goth. hausjan), perhaps from PIE base *(s)keu- "to notice, observe." Spelling difference between hear and here developed 1200-1550. Hearing "listening to evidence in

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a court of law" is from 1576; hearsay is 1532 from phrase to hear say. O.E. also had the excellent adj. hiersum "ready to hear, obedient," lit. "hear-some" with suffix from handsome, etc. Hear, hear! (1689) was originally imperative, used as an exclamation to call attention to a speaker's words; now a general cheer of approval. Originally it was hear him!

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

hear (hēr)
v. heard (hûrd), hear·ing, hears
To perceive (sound) by the ear.