[eer] 
| 1. | the organ of hearing and equilibrium in vertebrates, in humans consisting of an external ear that gathers sound vibrations, a middle ear in which the vibrations resonate against the tympanic membrane, and a fluid-filled internal ear that maintains balance and that conducts the tympanic vibrations to the auditory nerve, which transmits them as impulses to the brain. |
| 2. | the external ear alone: The hat completely covers his ears. |
| 3. | the sense of hearing: sounds that are pleasing to the ear. |
| 4. | keen or sensitive perception of the differences of sound, esp. sensitiveness to the quality and correctness of musical sounds: an ear for music; a violinist with a good ear. |
| 5. | attention; heed: to gain a person's ear. |
| 6. | any part that resembles or suggests an ear in position or form, as the handle of a teacup. |
| 7. | Architecture. crossette. |
| 8. | Journalism. a small box in either upper corner of a newspaper page, usually the front page or split page, containing the name of or a symbol for the edition, a weather bulletin, a slogan, or the like. |
| 9. | Furniture.
|
| 10. | ears, Slang. earphones. |
| 11. | ear tuft. |
| 12. | be all ears, Informal. to give all one's attention; listen: We were all ears as the scandal was revealed. |
| 13. | bend an ear, to listen attentively: to bend an ear to a request for aid. |
| 14. | bend someone's ear, Informal. to talk to someone uninterruptedly and often so as to induce boredom: He'll bend your ear for hours if given the chance. |
| 15. | by ear, without reference to written or printed music: to play the piano by ear. |
| 16. | fall on deaf ears, to be disregarded; pass unheeded: Their pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. |
| 17. | give ear, to pay attention; listen carefully. Also, lend an ear. |
| 18. | go in one ear and out the other, to be heard but ignored; be put out of mind: My repeated warnings to her went in one ear and out the other. |
| 19. | have or keep one's ear to the ground, to keep well-informed about current trends; be shrewd or astute: Because she had her ear to the ground, she made a large fortune in stock speculation. |
| 20. | have one's ears on, Slang. to be listening through earphones to a radio, cassette player, telephone communication, or the like. |
| 21. | pin someone's ears back, Slang. to give a person a sound beating; defeat a person utterly: If he doesn't behave himself, I'll pin his ears back. |
| 22. | set by the ears, to cause to dispute or quarrel: He's a troublemaker who keeps trying to set the two other children by the ears. |
| 23. | set on one's ear or ears, to excite or stir up; shock; amaze: The presence of the movie star set the whole town on its ear. |
| 24. | turn a deaf ear to, to refuse to listen to or consider (a request, petition, etc.): He turns a deaf ear to requests for loans. |
| 25. | up to one's ears, deeply involved or occupied to full capacity: We are up to our ears in work. |
| 26. | wet behind the ears. wet (def. 19). |
The organ of hearing, which also plays a role in maintaining balance. It is divided into the outer ear (from the outside to the eardrum), the middle ear, and the inner ear.
ear (ēr)
n.
The organ of hearing, responsible for maintaining equilibrium as well as sensing sound and divided into the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.
The part of this organ that is externally visible.
The sense of hearing.
| ear 2 (îr) Pronunciation Key
The seed-bearing spike of a cereal plant, such as corn or wheat. |
pin someone's ears back
Defeat, overcome, punish, as in The Red Sox had their ears pinned back by the Yankees, or You'll get your ears pinned back if you're late. [c. 1940]