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more about ear
ear |
9 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Ear \Ear\, n. [AS. e['a]re; akin to OFries ['a]re, ['a]r, OS ?ra, D. oor, OHG. ?ra, G. ohr, Icel. eyra, Sw ["o]ra, Dan. ["o]re, Goth. auso, L. auris, Lith. ausis, Russ. ukho Gr ?; cf L. audire to hear, Gr ?, Skr. av to favor, protect. Cf {Auricle}, {Orillon}.] 1. The organ of hearing; the external ear. Note: In man and the higher vertebrates, the organ of hearing is very complicated, and is divisible into three parts: the external ear, which includes the pinna or auricle and meatus or external opening; the middle ear, drum, or tympanum; and the internal ear, or labyrinth. The middle ear is a cavity connected by the Eustachian tube with the pharynx, separated from the opening of the external ear by the tympanic membrane, and containing a chain of three small bones, or ossicles, named malleus, incus, and stapes, which connect this membrane with the internal ear. The essential part of the internal ear where the fibers of the auditory nerve terminate, is the membranous labyrinth, a complicated system of sacs and tubes filled with a fluid (the endolymph), and lodged in a cavity, called the bony labyrinth, in the periotic bone. The membranous labyrinth does not completely fill the bony labyrinth, but is partially suspended in it in a fluid (the perilymph). The bony labyrinth consists of a central cavity, the vestibule, into which three semicircular canals and the canal of the cochlea (spirally coiled in mammals) open The vestibular portion of the membranous labyrinth consists of two sacs, the utriculus and sacculus, connected by a narrow tube, into the former of which three membranous semicircular canals open while the latter is connected with a membranous tube in the cochlea containing the organ of Corti. By the help of the external ear the sonorous vibrations of the air are concentrated upon the tympanic membrane and set it vibrating, the chain of bones in the middle ear transmits these vibrations to the internal ear, where they cause certain delicate structures in the organ of Corti, and other parts of the membranous labyrinth, to stimulate the fibers of the auditory nerve to transmit sonorous impulses to the brain. 2. The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power of discriminating between different tones; as a nice ear for music; -- in the singular only. Songs . . . not all ungrateful to thine ear. --Tennyson. 3. That which resembles in shape or position the ear of an animal; any prominence or projection on an object, -- usually one for support or attachment; a lug; a handle; as the ears of a tub, a skillet, or dish. The ears of a boat are outside kneepieces near the bow. See Illust. of {Bell}. 4. (Arch.) a Same as {Acroterium}. b Same as {Crossette}. 5. Privilege of being kindly heard; favor; attention. Dionysius . . . would give no ear to his suit. --Bacon. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. --Shak. {About the ears}, in close proximity to near at hand. {By the ears}, in close contest; as to set by the ears; to fall together by the ears; to be by the ears. {Button ear} (in dogs), an ear which falls forward and completely hides the inside. {Ear finger}, the little finger. {Ear of Dionysius}, a kind of ear trumpet with a flexible tube; -- named from the Sicilian tyrant, who constructed a device to overhear the prisoners in his dungeons. {Ear sand} (Anat.), otoliths See {Otolith}. {Ear snail} (Zo["o]l.), any snail of the genus {Auricula} and allied genera. {Ear stones} (Anat.), otoliths See {Otolith}. {Ear trumpet}, an instrument to aid in hearing. It consists of a tube broad at the outer end and narrowing to a slender extremity which enters the ear, thus collecting and intensifying sounds so as to assist the hearing of a partially deaf person. {Ear vesicle} (Zo["o]l.), a simple auditory organ, occurring in many worms, mollusks, etc It consists of a small sac containing a fluid and one or more solid concretions or otocysts. {Rose ear} (in dogs), an ear which folds backward and shows part of the inside. {To give ear to}, to listen to to heed, as advice or one advising. ``Give ear unto my song.'' --Goldsmith. {To have one's ear}, to be listened to with favor. {Up to the ears}, deeply submerged; almost overwhelmed; as to be in trouble up to one's ears. [Colloq.] From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Ear \Ear\, v. t. [OE. erien, AS erian; akin to OFries era, OHG. erran, MHG. eren, ern, Prov. G. aren, ["a]ren, Icel. erja, Goth. arjan, Lith. arti, OSlav. orati, L. arare, Gr ?. Cf {Arable}.] To plow or till; to cultivate. ``To ear the land.'' --Shak. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Ear \Ear\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Eared}; p. pr & vb n. {Earing}.] To take in with the ears; to hear. [Sportive] ``I eared her language.'' --Two Noble Kinsmen. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Ear \Ear\, n. [AS. ear; akin to D. aar, OHG. ahir, G. ["a]hre, Icel., Sw., & Dan. ax Goth. ahs. ???. Cf {Awn}, {Edge}.] The spike or head of any cereal (as, wheat, rye, barley, Indian corn, etc.), containing the kernels. First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. --Mark iv 28. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Ear \Ear\, v. i. To put forth ears in growing; to form ears, as grain; as this corn ears well From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Canon \Can"on\, n. [OE. canon, canoun, AS canon rule (cf. F. canon, LL canon, and for sense 7, F. chanoine LL canonicus), fr L. canon a measuring line rule model, fr Gr ? rule rod, fr ?, ?, red. See {Cane}, and cf {Canonical}.] 1. A law or rule Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter. --Shak. 2. (Eccl.) A law, or rule of doctrine or discipline, enacted by a council and confirmed by the pope or the sovereign; a decision, regulation, code, or constitution made by ecclesiastical authority. Various canons which were made in councils held in the second centry. --Hock. 3. The collection of books received as genuine Holy Scriptures, called the {sacred canon}, or general rule of moral and religious duty, given by inspiration; the Bible; also any one of the canonical Scriptures. See {Canonical books}, under {Canonical}, a. 4. In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order 5. A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church. 6. A member of a cathedral chapter; a person who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church. 7. (Mus.) A musical composition in which the voices begin one after another, at regular intervals, successively taking up the same subject. It either winds up with a coda (tailpiece), or as each voice finishes, commences anew, thus forming a perpetual fugue or round. It is the strictest form of imitation. See {Imitation}. 8. (Print.) The largest size of type having a specific name -- so called from having been used for printing the canons of the church. 9. The part of a bell by which it is suspended; -- called also {ear} and {shank}. Note: [See Illust. of {Bell}.] --Knight. 10. (Billiards) See {Carom}. {Apostolical canons}. See under {Apostolical}. {Augustinian canons}, {Black canons}. See under {Augustinian}. {Canon capitular}, {Canon residentiary}, a resident member of a cathedral chapter (during a part or the whole of the year). {Canon law}. See under {Law}. {Canon of the Mass} (R. C. Ch.), that part of the mass, following the Sanctus, which never changes. {Honorary canon}, a canon who neither lived in a monastery, nor kept the canonical hours. {Minor canon} (Ch. of Eng.), one who has been admitted to a chapter, but has not yet received a prebend. {Regular canon} (R. C. Ch.), one who lived in a conventual community and follower the rule of St Austin; a Black canon. {Secular canon} (R. C. Ch.), one who did not live in a monastery, but kept the hours. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Crossette \Cros*sette"\ (kr?s-s?t`), n. [F., dim. of crosse. See {Crosier}.] (Arch.) a A return in one of the corners of the architrave of a door or window; -- called also {ancon}, {ear}, {elbow}. b The shoulder of a joggled keystone. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: ear n 1: the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium 2: good hearing; "he had a keen ear"; "a good ear for pitch" 3: the externally visible cartilaginous structure of the external ear [syn: {auricle}, {pinna}] 4: attention to what is said "he tried to get her ear" 5: fruiting spike of a cereal plant especially corn [syn: {spike}, {capitulum}] From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: Ear used frequently in a figurative sense (Ps. 34:15). To "uncover the ear" is to show respect to a person (1 Sam. 20:2 marg.). To have the "ear heavy", or to have "uncircumcised ears" (Isa. 6:10), is to be inattentive and disobedient. To have the ear bored" through with an awl was a sign of perpetual servitude (Ex. 21:6).
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