heark·en

[hahr-kuhn]
verb (used without object)
1.
Literary. to give heed or attention to what is said; listen.
verb (used with object)
2.
Archaic. to listen to; hear.
Also, harken.


Origin:
1150–1200; Middle English hercnen, Old English he(o)rcnian, suffixed form of assumed *heorcian; see hark, -en1

heark·en·er, noun
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
hearken or harken (ˈhɑːkən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
archaic to listen to (something)
 
[Old English heorcnian; see hark]
 
harken or harken
 
vb
 
[Old English heorcnian; see hark]
 
'hearkener or harken
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Hearken is one of our favorite verbs.
So is absquatulate. Does it mean:
to flee; abscond:
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

hearken
O.E. heorcnian, from base of hieran (see hear). Harken is the usual spelling in U.S. and probably is better justified by etymology.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Teased tresses and heavy makeup hearken back to earlier times.
Members of the jury, hearken to your verdict as the court will record it.
Chess is a game in which to hearken back to the good old days is often to be right up with the latest trend in strategy.
These arguments over the role of government in the market hearken back to the earliest days of capitalism.
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