— hearable , adj. — hearer , n.
/hear/ , v. , heard /herrd/ , hearing .
v.t.
1. to perceive by the ear: Didn't you hear the doorbell?
2. to learn by the ear or by being told; be informed of: to hear news.
3. to listen to; give or pay attention to: They refused to hear our side of the argument.
4. to be among the audience at or of (something): to hear a recital.
5. to give a formal, official, or judicial hearing to (something); consider officially, as a judge, sovereign, teacher, or assembly: to hear a case.
6. to take or listen to the evidence or testimony of (someone): to hear the defendant.
7. to listen to with favor, assent, or compliance.
8. (of a computer) to perceive by speech recognition.
v.i.
9. to be capable of perceiving sound by the ear; have the faculty of perceiving sound vibrations.
10. to receive information by the ear or otherwise: to hear from a friend.
11. to listen with favor, assent, or compliance (often fol. by of ): I will not hear of your going.
12. (of a computer) to be capable of perceiving by speech recognition.
13. (used interjectionally in the phrase Hear! Hear! to express approval, as of a speech).
[ bef. 950; ME heren, OE heran, hieran; c. D horen, G hören, ON heyra, Goth hausjan; perh. akin to Gk akoúein (see ACOUSTIC) ]
Syn. 1, 2. attend. HEAR, LISTEN apply to the perception of sound. To HEAR is to have such perception by means of the auditory sense: to hear distant bells. To LISTEN is to give attention in order to hear and understand the meaning of a sound or sounds: to listen to what is being said; to listen for a well-known footstep. 4. attend. 7. regard, heed.
Ant. 7. disregard.