'To give ear to' definitions:
Definition of 'To give ear to'
From: GCIDE
- Ear \Ear\ ([=e]r), n. [AS. e['a]re; akin to OFries. ['a]re, ['a]r, OS. [=o]ra, D. oor, OHG. [=o]ra, G. ohr, Icel. eyra, Sw. ["o]ra, Dan. ["o]re, Goth. auso, L. auris, Lith. ausis, Russ. ukho, Gr. o'y^s; cf. L. audire to hear, Gr. 'ai`ein, Skr. av to favor, protect. Cf. Auricle, Orillon.]
- 1. The organ of hearing; the external ear. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- Songs . . . not all ungrateful to thine ear. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- 4. (Arch.) (a) Same as Acroterium. (b) Same as Crossette. [1913 Webster]
- 5. Privilege of being kindly heard; favor; attention. [1913 Webster]
- Dionysius . . . would give no ear to his suit. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
- Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- 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.] [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'To give ear to'
From: GCIDE
- Give \Give\ (g[i^]v), v. t. [imp. Gave (g[=a]v); p. p. Given (g[i^]v"'n); p. pr. & vb. n. Giving.] [OE. given, yiven, yeven, AS. gifan, giefan; akin to D. geven, OS. ge[eth]an, OHG. geban, G. geben, Icel. gefa, Sw. gifva, Dan. give, Goth. giban. Cf. Gift, n.]
- 1. To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow. [1913 Webster]
- For generous lords had rather give than pay. --Young. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To yield possesion of; to deliver over, as property, in exchange for something; to pay; as, we give the value of what we buy. [1913 Webster]
- What shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? --Matt. xvi. 26. [1913 Webster]
- 3. To yield; to furnish; to produce; to emit; as, flint and steel give sparks. [1913 Webster]
- 4. To communicate or announce, as advice, tidings, etc.; to pronounce; to render or utter, as an opinion, a judgment, a sentence, a shout, etc. [1913 Webster]
- 5. To grant power or license to; to permit; to allow; to license; to commission. [1913 Webster]
- It is given me once again to behold my friend. --Rowe. [1913 Webster]
- Then give thy friend to shed the sacred wine. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
- 6. To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to show; as, the number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship. [1913 Webster]
- 7. To devote; to apply; used reflexively, to devote or apply one's self; as, the soldiers give themselves to plunder; also in this sense used very frequently in the past participle; as, the people are given to luxury and pleasure; the youth is given to study. [1913 Webster]
- 8. (Logic & Math.) To set forth as a known quantity or a known relation, or as a premise from which to reason; -- used principally in the passive form given. [1913 Webster]
- 9. To allow or admit by way of supposition. [1913 Webster]
- I give not heaven for lost. --Mlton. [1913 Webster]
- 10. To attribute; to assign; to adjudge. [1913 Webster]
- I don't wonder at people's giving him to me as a lover. --Sheridan. [1913 Webster]
- 11. To excite or cause to exist, as a sensation; as, to give offense; to give pleasure or pain. [1913 Webster]
- 12. To pledge; as, to give one's word. [1913 Webster]
- 13. To cause; to make; -- with the infinitive; as, to give one to understand, to know, etc. [1913 Webster]
- But there the duke was given to understand That in a gondola were seen together Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- 14. To afford a view of; as, his window gave the park. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
- To give away, to make over to another; to transfer. [1913 Webster]
- Whatsoever we employ in charitable uses during our lives, is given away from ourselves. --Atterbury.
- To give back, to return; to restore. --Atterbury.
- To give the bag, to cheat. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
- I fear our ears have given us the bag. --J. Webster.
- To give birth to. (a) To bear or bring forth, as a child. (b) To originate; to give existence to, as an enterprise, idea.
- To give chase, to pursue.
- To give ear to. See under Ear.
- To give forth, to give out; to publish; to tell. --Hayward.
- To give ground. See under Ground, n.
- To give the hand, to pledge friendship or faith.
- To give the hand of, to espouse; to bestow in marriage.
- To give the head. See under Head, n.
- To give in. (a) To abate; to deduct. (b) To declare; to make known; to announce; to tender; as, to give in one's adhesion to a party.
- To give the lie to (a person), to tell (him) that he lies.
- To give line. See under Line.
- To give off, to emit, as steam, vapor, odor, etc.
- To give one's self away, to make an inconsiderate surrender of one's cause, an unintentional disclosure of one's purposes, or the like. [Colloq.]
- To give out. (a) To utter publicly; to report; to announce or declare. [1913 Webster]
- One that gives out himself Prince Florizel. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Give out you are of Epidamnum. --Shak. (b) To send out; to emit; to distribute; as, a substance gives out steam or odors.
- To give over. (a) To yield completely; to quit; to abandon. (b) To despair of. (c) To addict, resign, or apply (one's self). [1913 Webster]
- The Babylonians had given themselves over to all manner of vice. --Grew.
- To give place, to withdraw; to yield one's claim.
- To give points. (a) In games of skill, to equalize chances by conceding a certain advantage; to allow a handicap. (b) To give useful suggestions. [Colloq.]
- To give rein. See under Rein, n.
- To give the sack. Same as To give the bag.
- To give and take. (a) To average gains and losses. (b) To exchange freely, as blows, sarcasms, etc.
- To give time (Law), to accord extension or forbearance to a debtor. --Abbott.
- To give the time of day, to salute one with the compliment appropriate to the hour, as "good morning." "good evening", etc.
- To give tongue, in hunter's phrase, to bark; -- said of dogs.
- To give up. (a) To abandon; to surrender. "Don't give up the ship." [1913 Webster]
- He has . . . given up For certain drops of salt, your city Rome. --Shak. (b) To make public; to reveal. [1913 Webster]
- I'll not state them By giving up their characters. --Beau. & Fl. (c) (Used also reflexively.)
- To give up the ghost. See under Ghost.
- To give one's self up, to abandon hope; to despair; to surrender one's self.
- To give way. (a) To withdraw; to give place. (b) To yield to force or pressure; as, the scaffolding gave way. (c) (Naut.) To begin to row; or to row with increased energy. (d) (Stock Exchange). To depreciate or decline in value; as, railroad securities gave way two per cent.
- To give way together, to row in time; to keep stroke.
- Syn: To Give, Confer, Grant.
- Usage: To give is the generic word, embracing all the rest. To confer was originally used of persons in power, who gave permanent grants or privileges; as, to confer the order of knighthood; and hence it still denotes the giving of something which might have been withheld; as, to confer a favor. To grant is to give in answer to a petition or request, or to one who is in some way dependent or inferior. [1913 Webster]