ear : Idioms & Phrases

• an unwelcome hint or unexpected reply, annoying like a flea; an irritating repulse; as, to put a flea in one's ear; to go away with a flea in one's ear.

Webster 1913

• in close proximity to; near at hand.

Webster 1913

• noun widespread in the Arctic and on mountains in Europe
  Alpine mouse-ear; Cerastium alpinum.
  

WordNet

• noun widespread in the Arctic and on mountains in Europe
  Alpine mouse-ear; Cerastium alpinum.
  

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• a loose hanging ear of a horse, like that of a spaniel.

Webster 1913

• (Anat.), the tympanum, or tympanic cavity.

Webster 1913

• noun yellow-flowered primrose native to Alps; commonly cultivated
  auricula; Primula auricula.
  

WordNet

Bear's-ear` noun

Definitions

1. (Bot.) A kind of primrose (Primula auricula), so called from the shape of the leaf.

Webster 1913

• a black, powdery fungus which destroys grain. See Smut.

Webster 1913

• (in dogs), an ear which falls forward and completely hides the inside.

Webster 1913

• in close contest; as, to set by the ears; to fall together by the ears; to be by the ears.

Webster 1913

• noun any of several plants of the genus Calochortus having flowers with petals shaped like cat's ears
  
• noun European weed widely naturalized in North America having yellow flower heads and leaves resembling a cat's ears
  California dandelion; capeweed; Hypochaeris radicata; gosmore.
  

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• noun an auricle deformed by injury; common among boxers
  

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Crop"-ear` noun

Definitions

1. A person or animal whose ears are cropped.

Webster 1913

• noun any of various tall perennial herbs constituting the genus Frasera; widely distributed in warm dry upland areas of California, Oregon, and Washington
  American columbo; American gentian; deer's-ear; columbo; pyramid plant.
  

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• noun any of various tall perennial herbs constituting the genus Frasera; widely distributed in warm dry upland areas of California, Oregon, and Washington
  American columbo; American gentian; deer's-ear; columbo; pyramid plant.
  

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• (Arch.), an acroterium. Colloq.

Webster 1913

Dog's"-ear` noun

Definitions

1. The corner of a leaf, in a book, turned down like the ear of a dog. Gray. -- Dog's"-eared` a. Cowper.

Webster 1913

• noun a corner of a page turned down to mark your place
  

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• noun either of the passages in the outer ear from the auricle to the tympanic membrane
  auditory meatus; acoustic meatus; external auditory canal; auditory canal.
  

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• noun a physician who specializes in the ear and its diseases
  ear doctor; otologist.
  

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• the little finger.

Webster 1913

• noun widely distributed edible fungus shaped like a human ear and growing on decaying wood
  Jew's-ear; ear fungus; Auricularia auricula.
  

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• noun a hole (as in a helmet) for sound to reach the ears
  

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• noun the fleshy pendulous part of the external human ear
  earlobe.
  

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• a kind of ear trumpet with a flexible tube; named from the Sicilian tyrant, who constructed a device to overhear the prisoners in his dungeons.

Webster 1913

• (Anat.), otoliths. See Otolith.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), any snail of the genus Auricula and allied genera.

Webster 1913

• noun a physician who specializes in the ear and its diseases
  ear doctor; otologist.
  

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• (Anat.), otoliths. See Otolith.

Webster 1913

• noun a conical acoustic device formerly used to direct sound to the ear of a hearing-impaired person
  hearing aid.
  

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• an instrument to aid in hearing. It consists of a tube broad at the outer end, and narrowing to a slender extremity which enters the ear, thus collecting and intensifying sounds so as to assist the hearing of a partially deaf person.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a simple auditory organ, occurring in many worms, mollusks, etc. It consists of a small sac containing a fluid and one or more solid concretions or otocysts.

Webster 1913

Ear"-bored` adjective

Definitions

1. Having the ear perforated.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite having a shape resembling an ear
  auriform; ear-like.
  

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• noun a specialist in the disorders of the ear or nose or throat
  otolaryngologist; ENT man; rhinolaryngologist; otorhinolaryngologist.
  

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Ear"-pier`cer noun

Definitions

1. (Zoöl.) The earwig.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite having a shape resembling an ear
  auriform; ear-like.
  

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• noun any of various large edible marine gastropods of the genus Haliotis having an ear-shaped shell with pearly interior
  abalone.
  

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Ear"-shell` noun

Definitions

1. (Zoöl.) A flattened marine univalve shell of the genus Haliotis; -- called also sea-ear. See Abalone.

Webster 1913

Ear"-split`ting adjective

Definitions

1. Deafening; disagreeably loud or shrill; as, ear-splitting strains.

Webster 1913

• noun small plant with slender bent stems bearing branched clusters of a few white star-shaped flowers with petals shaped like cat's ears; southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon to Montana
  Calochortus elegans; star tulip.
  

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• noun any plant of the genus Alocasia having large showy basal leaves and boat-shaped spathe and reddish berries
  elephant ear; alocasia.
  

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• noun any plant of the genus Alocasia having large showy basal leaves and boat-shaped spathe and reddish berries
  elephant ear; alocasia.
  
• noun tropical South American tree having a wide-spreading crown of bipinnate leaves and coiled ear-shaped fruits; grown for shade and ornament as well as valuable timber
  Enterolobium cyclocarpa; conacaste.
  

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• (Bot.), a name given to certain species of the genus Begonia, which have immense one-sided leaves.

Webster 1913

• noun the part of the ear visible externally
  external ear.
  

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• noun densely tufted perennial chickweed of north temperate zone
  field chickweed; Cerastium arvense.
  

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• verb give heed (to)
  advert; hang; attend; pay heed.
  
  • The children in the audience attended the recital quietly
  • She hung on his every word
  • They attended to everything he said

WordNet

Hare's"-ear` noun

Definitions

1. (Bot.) An umbelliferous plant (Bupleurum rotundifolium ); -- so named from the shape of its leaves. Dr. Prior.

Webster 1913

Hart's`-ear` noun

Definitions

1. (Bot.) An Asiatic species of Cacalia (C. Kleinia), used medicinally in India.

Webster 1913

• with the whole person; deeply; completely; as, he was head and ears in debt or in trouble. Colloq.

Webster 1913

• adverb in a binaural manner
  binaurally; in both ears.
  
  • the stimulus was presented binaurally

WordNet

• adverb in a monaural manner
  monaurally; in one ear.
  
  • the stimuli were presented monaurally

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• noun a complex system of interconnecting cavities; concerned with hearing and equilibrium
  inner ear; labyrinth.
  

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• noun a complex system of interconnecting cavities; concerned with hearing and equilibrium
  inner ear; labyrinth.
  

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• noun widely distributed edible fungus shaped like a human ear and growing on decaying wood
  Jew's-ear; ear fungus; Auricularia auricula.
  

WordNet

Jew's"-ear` noun

Definitions

1. (Bot.) A species of fungus (Hirneola Auricula-Judæ, ∨ Auricula), bearing some resemblance to the human ear.

Webster 1913

• noun widely distributed edible fungus shaped like a human ear and growing on decaying wood
  Jew's-ear; ear fungus; Auricularia auricula.
  

WordNet

Li"on's ear`

Definitions

1. (Bot.) A name given in Western South America to certain plants with shaggy tomentose leaves, as species of Culcitium, and Espeletia.

Webster 1913

• noun pantropical herb having whorls of striking lipped flowers; naturalized in United States
  Leonotis nepetaefolia; Leonotis nepetifolia.
  

WordNet

• the soft, fleshy prominence in which the human ear terminates below. See. Illust. of Ear.

Webster 1913

• . (Anat.) Same as Lobe of the ear.

Webster 1913

Mi"das's ear"

Etymology

See Midas.

Definitions

1. (Zoöl.) A pulmonate mollusk (Auricula, ∨ Ellobium, aurismidæ); -- so called from resemblance to a human ear.

Webster 1913

• noun the main cavity of the ear; between the eardrum and the inner ear
  tympanum; tympanic cavity.
  

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• noun hearing loss due to problems with the bones of the middle ear
  conductive hearing loss; conduction deafness.
  

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• noun small perennial herb having bright blue or white flowers
  forget-me-not; Myosotis scorpiodes.
  
• noun any of various plants related to the common chickweed
  mouse eared chickweed; clammy chickweed; mouse ear; chickweed.
  

WordNet

Mouse"-ear` noun

Definitions

1. (Bot.) (a) The forget-me-not (Myosotis palustris) and other species of the same genus. (b) A European species of hawkweed (Hieracium Pilosella).

Webster 1913

• noun any of various plants related to the common chickweed
  mouse eared chickweed; clammy chickweed; mouse ear; chickweed.
  

WordNet

• a name of two common species of chickweed (Cerastium vulgarium, and C. viscosum).

Webster 1913

• noun a small invasive self-pollinating weed with small white flowers; much studied by plant geneticists; the first higher plant whose complete genome sequence was described
  Arabidopsis thaliana.
  

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• a low cruciferous herb (Sisymbrium Thaliana). All these are low herbs with soft, oval, or obovate leaves, whence the name.

Webster 1913

• noun European hawkweed having soft hairy leaves; sometimes placed in genus Hieracium
  Hieracium pilocella; Pilosella officinarum.
  

WordNet

• noun balsamic-resinous herb with clumps of lanceolate leaves and stout leafy stems ending in large deep yellow flowers on long stalks; northwestern United States
  Wyethia amplexicaulis.
  

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• noun the part of the ear visible externally
  external ear.
  

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• beyond one's depth; completely; wholly; hopelessly; as, over head and ears in debt. = head over heels Colloq.

Webster 1913

• noun an edible agaric with a brown fruiting body that is often compound
  Cantharellus clavatus.
  

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• verb decide on one's actions as one goes along, depending on the situation
  
  • She didn't know what to expect from her new job, so she played it by ear

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• noun an indoor TV antenna; consists of two extendible rods that form a V
  
• noun the long ears of a rabbit
  

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• an ear of Indian corn at that stage of development when it is fit to be eaten roasted.

Webster 1913

• (in dogs), an ear which folds backward and shows part of the inside.

Webster 1913

• noun an abalone found near the Channel Islands
  ormer; Haliotis tuberculata.
  

WordNet

Sea"-ear` noun

Definitions

1. (Zoöl.) Any species of ear-shaped shells of the genus Haliotis. See Abalone.

Webster 1913

• noun an inability to distinguish differences in pitch
  tone deafness.
  
• noun insensitivity to the appropriateness or subtlety of language
  
  • he has a tin ear for dialogue

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• adverb in a binaural manner
  binaurally; in both ears.
  
  • the stimulus was presented binaurally

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• to impress one by noisy repetition, as if by hammering.

Webster 1913

• to listen to; to heed, as advice or one advising. "Give ear unto my song." Goldsmith.

Webster 1913

• to be listened to with favor.

Webster 1913

• to give attention.

Webster 1913

• adverb in a monaural manner
  monaurally; in one ear.
  
  • the stimuli were presented monaurally

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• deeply submerged; almost overwhelmed; as, to be in trouble up to one's ears. Colloq.

Webster 1913

• noun the central cavity of the bony labyrinth of the ear
  

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• . (Anat.) See under Ear.

Webster 1913

White"-ear` noun

Definitions

1. (Zoöl.) The wheatear.

Webster 1913

• noun herb with basal leaves and leafy hairy stems bearing solitary flower heads with white or pale cream-colored rays; northwestern United States
  Wyethia helianthoides.
  

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