ear
UK: ɪə | US: ɪr
n. the organ of hearing in humans and animals
n. the ability to perceive sound; musical sensitivity
n. the fruiting spike of a cereal plant (e.g., corn ear)
The word "ear" traces back to Old English ēare, derived from Proto-Germanic auzōn, which itself stems from Proto-Indo-European h₂ous- ("ear"). This root is shared across many Indo-European languages (e.g., Latin auris, Greek ous). The word has retained its core meaning as the organ of hearing for millennia, with its spelling and pronunciation evolving minimally. The agricultural sense ("corn ear") arose metaphorically from the spike's resemblance to the shape of an ear.
She whispered secrets into his ear.
He has a keen ear for classical music.
The dog perked up its ears at the sound.
Each stalk of corn produces one or two ears.
The violin solo was music to her ears.