1 [C] either of the organs on the sides of the head that you hear with:
an ear infection * the inner / outer ear * She whispered something in his ear. * He put his hands over his ears. * She's had her ears pierced. * The elephant flapped its ears. * He was always there with a sympathetic ear (= a willingness to listen to people). * (BrE) She gave him a clip round the ear (= hit him on the head because of sth he had done).
seealsoCAULIFLOWEREAR, GLUEEAR, MIDDLEEAR
2 (-eared) (in adjectives) having the type of ears mentioned:
a long-eared owl
3 [sing.] an ability to recognize and copy sounds well:
She has always had an ear for languages. * You need a good ear to master the piano.
4 [C] the top part of a grain plant, such as wheat, that contains the seeds:
ears of corn
IDIOMS
be all ears (informal) to be waiting with interest to hear what sb has to say:
'Do you know what he said?' 'Go on-I'm all ears.'
be out on your ear (informal) to be forced to leave (a job, etc.)
be up to your ears in sth to have a lot of sth to deal with:
We're up to our ears in work.
sth comes to / reaches sb's ears somebody hears about sth, especially when other people already know about it:
News of his affair eventually reached her ears.
sb's ears are burning a person thinks that other people are talking about them, especially in an unkind way:
'I bumped into your ex-wife last night.' 'I thought I could feel my ears burning!'
sb's ears are flapping (BrE, informal) a person is trying to listen to sb else's conversation
go in one ear and out the other (informal) (of information, etc.) to be forgotten quickly:
Everything I tell them just goes in one ear and out the other.
have sb's ear
