hear

English Online Dictionary. What means hear‎? What does hear mean?

English

Alternative forms

• heare (obsolete)
• 'ear (pronunciation spelling)

Etymology

From Middle English heren, from Old English hīeran (“to hear”), from Proto-West Germanic *hauʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną (“to hear”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱh₂owsyéti (“to be sharp-eared”), from *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) + *h₂ows- (“ear”) + *-yéti (denominative suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /hɪə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /hɪəɹ/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): [hiːɹ]
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /hjɜː/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophones: here, hir

Verb

hear (third-person singular simple present hears, present participle hearing, simple past and past participle heard)

1. (intransitive, stative) To perceive sounds through the ear. [from 10th c.]

2. (transitive, stative) To perceive (a sound, or something producing a sound) with the ear, to recognize (something) in an auditory way. [from 10th c.]
3. (transitive) To exercise this faculty intentionally; to listen to. [from 10th c.]
4. (transitive) To listen favourably to; to grant (a request etc.). [from 10th c.]

5. (transitive) To receive information about; to come to learn of. [from 10th c.]
6. (with from) To be contacted by.
7. (transitive, law) To listen to (a person, case) in a court of law; to try. [from 12th c.]

8. (transitive, informal) To sympathize with; to understand the feelings or opinion of.

9. (transitive, Greek philosophy) To study under.

Usage notes

• This is generally a stative verb that rarely takes the continuous inflection. See Category:English stative verbs

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• audible
• deaf
• listen

Interjection

hear

1. you hear me

References

• “hear”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “hear”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Ahre, Hare, Hera, RHAe, Rahe, Rhea, hare, hera, rhea

Cimbrian

Alternative forms

• hèere (Sette Comuni)

Etymology

From Middle High German herre, from Old High German hērro, hēriro, comparative form of hēr (“gray-haired, noble, venerable”). Cognate with German Herr; see there for more.

Noun

hear m

1. (Luserna) man, gentleman

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

West Frisian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɪə̯r/

Etymology 1

From Old Frisian hār (“honorable”).

Noun

hear c (plural hearen, diminutive hearke)

1. lord
2. (Christianity) the Lord, God

   Wêr de Geast fan de Hear is, der is frijheid. ― Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

3. nobleman
4. gentleman

Derived terms

• leavehearsbistke
• mynhear

Further reading

• “hear (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

Etymology 2

From Old Frisian here, from Proto-West Germanic *hari.

Noun

hear c (plural hearen)

1. army

   Yn âlde tiden wie Frjentsjer bilegere fan in machtich hear. ― In days gone by, Franeker was besieged by a mighty army.

2. crowd

Further reading

• “hear (II)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011