Ear
/ɪər/
Definitions
3 meaningsThe organ of hearing and balance; the external part of the ear.
/ɪər/
The organ of hearing.
She cupped her ear to hear the distant sound.
💡 Simply: Your ear is how you hear things, like your friend talking or the music playing on your favorite radio station. Imagine your ear like a tiny microphone picking up all the cool noises around you!
👶 For kids: The part of your head you use to hear things!
More Examples
The dog's ears perked up at the sound of his owner's voice.
A sudden loud noise can be harmful to the ear.
How It's Used
"The ear is composed of three main parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear."
"He complained of a sharp pain in his ear."
The ability to hear or distinguish sounds, especially musical sounds; the power of perceiving or recognizing sounds.
/ɪər/
The sense of hearing.
He has a keen ear for music.
💡 Simply: When someone has a good 'ear', they can tell if a song is in tune or out of tune. It’s like having a superpower for music! They can pick up on the fine details in sounds. Imagine being able to tell which instrument plays which notes!
👶 For kids: When you can hear and understand sounds really well, especially music!
More Examples
She developed a good ear for foreign languages.
The pianist's ear could detect even the slightest mistakes.
How It's Used
"The composer has a good ear for melody."
"She has a sensitive ear for subtle harmonies."
The seed-bearing part of a cereal plant (e.g., corn, wheat), consisting of a spike or head.
/ɪər/
The part of a grain plant that contains the seeds.
The ears of the corn were heavy with kernels.
💡 Simply: On a corn stalk, the 'ear' is the part where the corn kernels grow. You eat them!
👶 For kids: The part of a corn plant where the corn grows!
More Examples
They harvested the wheat ears in the fall.
The field was full of ripening ears of grain.
How It's Used
"The farmer harvested the ears of corn."
"The ear of wheat is the seed-bearing part of the plant."
Idioms & expressions
lend an ear
To listen attentively and sympathetically to someone.
"If you have a problem, I'm always happy to lend an ear."
be all ears
To be eagerly and attentively listening.
"Tell me everything! I'm all ears."
play it by ear
To improvise, adapt to circumstances; to decide what to do as a situation develops.
"We don't have a plan yet, we'll just play it by ear."
From Old English ēare, from Proto-Germanic *auzō (compare German Ohr, Dutch oor), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws (compare Latin auris, Greek oûs).
The word 'ear' has existed in English since the Old English period and has consistently referred to the organ of hearing.