Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EAR, n. [Sax. ear, eare; D. oor; Sw. öra; Dan. öre; G. ohr or öhr; L. auris, whence auricula, Fr. oreille, Sp. oreja, Port. orelha, It. orecchio. The sense is probably a shoot or limb. It may be connected with hear, as the L. audio is with the Gr. ους, ωτος.]

1. The organ of hearing; the organ by which sound is perceived; and in general, the external and internal part is understood by the term. The external ear is a cartilaginous funnel, attached, by ligaments and muscles, to the temporal bone. Encyc.
2. The sense of hearing, or rather the power of distinguishing sounds and judging of harmony; the power of nice perception of the differences of sound, or of consonances and dissonances. She has a delicate ear for music, or a good ear.
3. In the plural the head or person. It is better to pass over an affront from one scoundrel, than to draw a herd about one's ears. L'Estrange.
4. The top, or highest part. The cavalier was up to the ears in love. [Low.] L'Estrange.
5. A favorable hearing; attention; heed; regard. Give no ear to flattery. He could not gain the prince's ear. I cried to God – and he gave ear to me. Ps. lxxvii.
6. Disposition to like or dislike what is heard; opinion; judgment; taste. He laid his sense closer – according to the style and ear of those times. Denham.
7. Any part of a thing resembling an ear; a projecting part from the side of any thing; as, the ears of a vessel used as handles.
8. The spike of corn; that part of certain plants which contains the flowers and seeds; as, an ear of wheat or maiz. To be by the ears, or To fall together by the ears, or To go together by the ears, to fight or scuffle; to quarrel. To set by the ears, to make strife; to cause to quarrel. An ear for music, an ear that relishes music, or that readily distinguishes tones or intervals.