PLAY IT BY EAR

Meaning of PLAY IT BY EAR in English

( informal ) to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops rather than by having a plan to follow :

I don't know what they'll want when they arrive—we'll have to play it by ear.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005

PLAY IT BY EAR — v. wait and see how a situation develops, wait and decide later (depending on what happens in the meantime), improvise
Толковый словарь английского языка - Редакция bed
PLAY IT BY EAR — informal proceed instinctively according to circumstances rather than according to rules or a plan. → play
Concise Oxford English vocab
PLAY IT BY EAR — see ear
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
PLAY IT BY EAR — see ear
Collins COBUILD - Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык
PLAY IT BY EAR — See ↑ PLAN 11
Longman Activator English vocab
PLAY IT BY EAR — IMPROVISE, extemporize, ad lib; make it up as one goes along, think on one's feet; informal busk it, wing it. …
Concise Oxford Thesaurus English vocabulary
PLAY IT BY EAR — See play . 2192; headword
Concise Oxford Thesaurus English vocabulary
PLAY IT BY EAR — play without a plan, improvise, jam If our plans fail, we can play it by ear. We'll be creative!
English Idioms vocab
PLAY IT BY EAR — play without a plan, improvise, jam If our plans fail, we can play it by ear. We'll be creative!
English Idioms vocabulary
PLAY IT BY EAR — принимать решение на месте, в зависимости от обстоятельств
Англо-Русский словарь Tiger
PLAY IT BY EAR — принимать решение на месте, в зависимости от обстоятельств
Англо-Русский словарь по общей лексике
PLAY IT BY EAR — принимать решение на месте, в зависимости от обстоятельств
Англо-Русский словарь общей лексики
PLAY IT BY EAR — expr infml He decided to remain calm and play it by ear — Он решил оставаться спокойным и действовать по обстановке Let's …
Новый Англо-Русский словарь современной разговорной лексики - Глазунов
PLAY IT BY EAR — expr infml He decided to remain calm and play it by ear — Он решил оставаться спокойным и действовать по …
Новый Англо-Русский словарь современной разговорной лексики
PLAY IT BY EAR — ear, play it by expr infml He decided to remain calm and play it by ear Он решил оставаться спокойным …
Англо-Русский новый словарь современного неформального английского языка
PLAY IT BY EAR — He decided to remain calm and play it by ear — Он решил оставаться спокойным и действовать по обстановке Let's …
Новый Англо-Русский словарь современного неформального английского
PLAY — I In zoology, actions that have all the elements of purposeful behaviour but are performed for no apparent reason. Play …
Английский словарь Британика
EAR — I Organ of hearing and balance. The outer ear directs sound vibrations through the auditory canal to the eardrum, which …
Английский словарь Британика
PLAY
Webster's New International English Dictionary
EAR — I. ˈi(ə)r, ˈiə noun ( -s ) Etymology: Middle English ere, from Old English ēare; akin to Old High German …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
BY — I. |bī also especially bef cons bə preposition Etymology: Middle English, preposition & adverb, from Old English be, bī, preposition, …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
PLAY
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
EAR — ear 1 — earless , adj. — earlike , adj. /ear/ , n. 1. the organ of hearing and equilibrium …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
BY — by 1 /buy/ , prep., adv., adj., n., pl. byes . prep. 1. near to or next to: a home …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
PLAY — I. ˈplā noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English plega; akin to Old English plegan to play, Middle Dutch pleyen …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
EAR — I. ˈir noun Etymology: Middle English ere, from Old English ēare; akin to Old High German ōra ear, Latin auris, …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
BY — I. ˈbī, before consonants also bə preposition Etymology: Middle English, preposition & adverb, from Old English, preposition, be, bī; akin …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
PLAY — noun amusement; sport; frolic; gambols. 2. play ·noun performance on an instrument of music. 3. play ·noun to act on …
Webster English vocab
EAR — noun the organ of hearing; the external ear. 2. ear ·noun ·same·as crossette. 3. ear ·noun ·same·as acroterium. 4. ear …
Webster English vocab
BY — (·pref.) against. 2. by ·adv aside; as, to lay by; to put by. 3. by (·pref.) on; along; in traversing. …
Webster English vocab
PLAY
Merriam-Webster English vocab
EAR — [ear] n [ME ere, fr. OE eare; akin to OHG ora ear, L auris, Gk ous] (bef. 12c) 1 a: …
Merriam-Webster English vocab
EAR — vertebrate organ of hearing and equilibrium that detects and analyzes noises by transduction (or the conversion of sound waves into …
Britannica English vocabulary
PLAY — / pleɪ; NAmE / verb , noun ■ verb OF CHILDREN 1. play (with sb/sth) to do things for pleasure, …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
EAR
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
BY — / baɪ; NAmE / preposition , adverb ■ preposition 1. near sb/sth; at the side of sb/sth; beside sb/sth : …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
PLAY
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
EAR — ear S2 W2 /ɪə $ ɪr/ BrE AmE noun [ Sense 1,2: Language: Old English ; Origin: eare ] [ …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
BY — I. by 1 S1 W1 /baɪ/ BrE AmE preposition [ Language: Old English ; Origin: be , bi ] 1 …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
PLAY
Английский основной разговорный словарь
EAR — n. 1 a the organ of hearing and balance in man and vertebrates, esp. the external part of this. b …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
BY — prep., adv., & n. --prep. 1 near, beside, in the region of (stand by the door; sit by me; path …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
PLAY
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
EAR — n. 1 a the organ of hearing and balance in man and vertebrates, esp. the external part of this. b …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
BY — prep., adv., & n. prep. 1 near, beside, in the region of (stand by the door; sit by me; path …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
PLAY
Oxford English vocab
EAR — 1. n.1 a the organ of hearing and balance in man and vertebrates, esp. the external part of this. b …
Oxford English vocab
BY — prep., adv., & n. --prep. 1. near, beside, in the region of (stand by the door; sit by me; path …
Oxford English vocab
PLAY
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
EAR — ( ears) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Your ears are the …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
BY — The preposition is pronounced /baɪ/. The adverb is pronounced /baɪ/. Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
PLAY
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
IT
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
EAR
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
BY
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
EAR — (BODY PART) [noun] [C] - either of the two organs, one on each side of the head, by which people …
Cambridge English vocab
PLAY — n. song play chronicle play history play miracle play morality play mumming play mummers' play mystery play Passion play problem …
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
EAR — n. Organ of hearing and balance. The outer ear directs sound vibrations through the auditory canal to the eardrum, which …
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
PLAY — Synonyms and related words : ALGOL, COBOL, FORTRAN, Grand Guignol, Passion play, Tom show, abuse, accentuate, accompany, act, act a …
Moby Thesaurus English vocabulary
EAR
Moby Thesaurus English vocabulary
EAR — See: ABOUT ONE'S EARS or AROUND ONE'S EARS, BELIEVE ONE'S EARS, DRY BEHIND THE EARS, FLEA IN ONE'S EAR, GIVE …
Slang English vocab
EAR
Oxford Collocations English Dictionary
PLAY — n. 25B6; verb the children played with toys : AMUSE ONESELF, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun; relax, occupy oneself, …
Concise Oxford Thesaurus English vocabulary
EAR — n. 25B6; noun an infection of the ear. : See list. he had the ear of the president : ATTENTION, …
Concise Oxford Thesaurus English vocabulary

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary

← PLAY (STH) BY EAR SHUT / CLOSE YOUR EARS TO STH→