ear
19
7.5
- noun
- /ɪr/
- Stalks of grain nodded beneath the weight of nearly ripe ears awaiting harvest within a few days.
- an ear of corn
- ear rot
- ear and stalk
Examples
-
One ear of grain, two ears of grain, three and another make four?
Fiction book (1993) -
And the first ear of corn I had was candy.
-
In other words, an ear of corn has value.
-
We're starting to get some pretty good size ears of corn in here.
-
A bundle of carrots, half dozen ears of corn, some eggs...
-
The Hopi tradition is to stack the ears neatly in the home in overlapping form.
Academic text (2004) -
All I had was an overcooked ear of corn and a juicy watermelon slice.
Fiction book (1992) -
In the summer, we picked fresh ears of corn from the garden for our barbecue.
-
She bought a few ears of corn at the farmer's market for the weekend cookout.
-
The recipe called for two ears of corn, which we later boiled and added to the salad.
Synonyms
2
6.8
A long plant stem that has flowers attached directly
Idioms
- Informal
9
7.5
Speak to someone for a very long time in a way that annoys them
- Informal
5
7.9
Talk to someone for a long time about personal things and often annoy them
- Archaic
1
9.9
You are in a dangerous situation where giving up is as risky as staying
- Informal
1
7.8
Tell someone about an idea so they will think about it later
- Informal
To pay close attention to what people say and do to know what is happening
- Informal
Say nice words you do not mean to get something from someone
Compounds
- Specialized
4
3.5
A space filled with air behind the eardrum that contains three tiny bones that carry sound to the inner ear
- Specialized
1
7.4
A lumpy, swollen outer ear that develops after repeated hits, common in boxers and wrestlers
- Specialized
1
3.3
The visible part of the ear and the ear canal that collect sound and send it to the eardrum
- Specialized
1
4.3
The part of the ear inside the head that helps you hear and keep balance
- Specialized
1
8.0
A small plant with tiny white flowers that scientists often use in plant research
- Specialized
A tall flowering plant that grows on dry hills in the western United States
A small plant with white flowers that grows year after year in cold Arctic and mountain areas
A small plant with white flowers and hairy leaves that grows in Arctic and mountain areas
- Specialized
A plant with bright orange flowers shaped like small lips that grow in rings
- Specialized
Hearing loss caused by problems with the small bones in the middle ear
- UK
A brown ear-shaped edible mushroom that grows on dead wood and is used in Asian cooking
- Specialized
A small central space inside the inner ear that helps control balance and links hearing parts
How Much
Surface Forms
Etymology
Ear for grain comes from an old English word ēar meaning 'spike' or 'head', because the seeds grow on a long spike like a little head, so farmers call that part an 'ear' of corn or wheat.