ear
Ear is defined as the part of the body for hearing.
(noun)An example of an ear is how people listen to music.
See ear in Webster's New World College Dictionary
noun
- the part of the body specialized for the perception of sound; organ of hearing: the human ear consists of the external ear, the middle ear (tympanum), and the inner ear (labyrinth), which also senses one's state of equilibrium
- the visible, external part of the ear
- the sense of hearing
- the ability to recognize slight differences in sound, esp. in the pitch, rhythm, etc. of musical tones
- anything shaped or placed like an ear, as the handle of a pitcher or a small box in the upper corner of a newspaper page
Origin: ME ere < OE ēare akin to Goth ausō, Ger ohr < IE base *ous-, ear > L auris, Gr ous, OIr au
noun
Origin: ME er < OE ēar, akin to Ger ähre, Goth ahs < IE *aces (< base *ak-, sharp) > L acus, chaff
intransitive verb
See ear in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
- Anatomy a. The vertebrate organ of hearing, responsible for maintaining equilibrium as well as sensing sound and divided in mammals into the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.b. The part of this organ that is externally visible.
- An invertebrate organ analogous to the mammalian ear.
- The sense of hearing: a sound that grates on the ear.
- Sensitivity or receptiveness to sound, especially:a. Sharpness or refinement of hearing: a singer with a good ear for harmony.b. The ability to play a passage of music solely from hearing it: plays the piano by ear.c. Responsiveness to the sounds or forms of spoken language: a writer with a good ear for dialogue; has an ear for foreign languages.
- Sympathetic or favorable attention: “[The President] wavers between the two positions, depending on who last had his ear” (Joseph C. Harsch).
- Something resembling the external ear in position or shape, especially:a. A flexible tuft of feathers located above the eyes of certain birds, such as owls, that functions in visual communication but not in hearing. Also called ear tuft.b. A projecting handle, as on a vase or pitcher.
- A small box in the upper corner of the page in a newspaper or periodical that contains a printed notice, such as promotional material or weather information.
- ears Informal Headphones.
Origin:
Origin: Middle English ere
Origin: , from Old English ēare; see ous- in Indo-European roots
.Related Forms:
- earˈless adjective
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ear
A. auricle B. semicircular canals C. cochlea D. cochlear nerve E. Eustachian tube F. eardrum G. ear canalnoun
Origin:
Origin: Middle English ere
Origin: , from Old English ēar; see ak- in Indo-European roots
.See ear in Ologies
Ear
See also anatomy; body, human; deafness; hearing.
audialgesia
Medicine. a pain in the ear; earache.
an instrument for examining the ear.
auriscopy
the art of using the auriscope.
an earache.
otiatrics, otiatry
Medicine. the therapeutics of ear diseases. —otiatric, adj.
oticodinia
a vertigo resulting from ear disease. Also oticodinosis.
Medicine. any variety of inflammation in the ear. —otitic, adj.
otography
1. the science of the ear.
2. a scientific description of the ear.
1. the branch of medicine that studies the ear and its diseases.
2. the treatment of ear disorders. —otologist, n. —otologic, otological, adj.
an abnormal condition or disease of the ear.
plastic surgery of the ear.
the discharge or flowing of pus from the ear.
any flowing or discharge from the ear.
a visual inspection of the ear drum and the auditory canal. —otoscopic, adj.
pachyotia
abnormal thickness of the ears.
a ringing or whistling sound in the ears, not caused by any outside stimulus.
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