ear
- 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
A long plant stem that has flowers attached directly
Idioms
- Archaic
You are in a dangerous situation where giving up is as risky as staying
- Informal
Talk to someone for a long time about personal things and often annoy them
- Informal
To pay close attention to what people say and do to know what is happening
- Informal
Tell someone about an idea so they will think about it later
- Informal
Say nice words you do not mean to get something from someone
- Informal
Speak to someone for a very long time in a way that annoys them
Compounds
- Specialized
A space filled with air behind the eardrum that contains three tiny bones that carry sound to the inner ear
- Specialized
A lumpy, swollen outer ear that develops after repeated hits, common in boxers and wrestlers
- Specialized
The visible part of the ear and the ear canal that collect sound and send it to the eardrum
- 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
- Specialized
A small plant with tiny white flowers that scientists often use in plant research
- Specialized
The part of the ear inside the head that helps you hear and keep balance
- 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
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Archaic
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.