[ear] n [ME ere, fr. OE eare; akin to OHG ora ear, L auris, Gk ous] (bef. 12c) 1 a: the characteristic vertebrate organ of hearing and equilibrium consisting in the typical mammal of a sound-collecting outer ear separated by the tympanic membrane from a sound-transmitting middle ear that in turn is separated from a sensory inner ear by membranous fenestrae b: any of various organs capable of detecting vibratory motion
2: the external ear of humans and most mammals 3 a: the sense or act of hearing b: acuity of hearing c: sensitivity to musical tone and pitch; also: the ability to retain and reproduce music that has been heard d: sensitivity to nuances of language esp. as revealed in the command of verbal melody and rhythm or in the ability to render a spoken idiom accurately
4: something resembling a mammalian ear in shape, position, or function: as a: a projecting part (as a lug or handle) b: either of a pair of tufts of lengthened feathers on the head of some birds
5. a: sympathetic attention b: attention, awareness
6: a space in the upper corner of the front page of a periodical (as a newspaper) usu. containing advertising for the periodical itself or a weather forecast -- by ear : without reference to or memorization of written music "plays by ear" -- in one ear and out the other : through one's mind without making an impression "everything you say to him goes in one ear and out the other" -- on one's ear : in or into a state of irritation, shock, or discord "set the racing world on its ear by breaking the record" -- up to one's ears : deeply involved: heavily implicated "up to his ears in shady deals"
[2]ear n [ME er, fr. OE ear; akin to OHG ahir ear, OE ecg edge--more at edge] (bef. 12c): the fruiting spike of a cereal (as wheat or Indian corn) including both the seeds and protective structures [3]ear vi (14c): to form ears in growing "the rye should be ~ing up"