Adjacent Words

Hear definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HEAR, v.t. pret. and pp. heard, but more correctly heared.
[L. audio; auris.]
1. To perceive by the ear; to feel an impression of sound by the proper organs; as, to hear sound; to hear a voice; to hear words.
2. To give audience or allowance to speak.
He sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Acts 24.
3. To attend; to listen; to obey.
Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart. Psalms 95.
4. To attend favorably; to regard.
They think they shall be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6.
5. To grant an answer to prayer.
I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice. Psalms 116.
6. To attend to the facts, evidence, and arguments in a cause between parties; to try in a court of law or equity. The cause was heard and determined at the last term; or, it was heard at the last term, and will be determined at the next. Song 2Sam.15.
7. To acknowledge a title; a Latin phrase.
Hear'st thou submissive, but a lowly birth.
8. To be a hearer of; to sit under the preaching of; as, what minister do you hear? [A colloquial use of the word.]
9. To learn.
I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. John 8.
10. To approve and embrace.
They speak of the world, and the world heareth them. l John 4.
To hear a bird sing, to receive private communication.
HEAR, v.i. To enjoy the sense or faculty of perceiving sound. He is deaf, he cannot hear.
1. To listen; to hearken; to attend.
He hears with solicitude.
2. To be told; to receive by report.
I hear there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it. 1 Corinthians 11.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
2: get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally; "I learned that she has two grown-up children"; "I see that you have been promoted" [syn: learn, hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line, discover, see]
3: examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process; "The jury had heard all the evidence"; "The case will be tried in California" [syn: hear, try]
4: receive a communication from someone; "We heard nothing from our son for five years"
5: listen and pay attention; "Listen to your father"; "We must hear the expert before we make a decision" [syn: listen, hear, take heed]

Merriam Webster's

verb (heard; hearing) Etymology: Middle English heren, from Old English h?eran; akin to Old High German h?ren to hear, and probably to Latin cav?re to be on guard, Greek akouein to hear Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to perceive or apprehend by the ear 2. to gain knowledge of by hearing 3. a. to listen to with attention ; heed b. attend <hear mass> 4. a. to give a legal hearing to b. to take testimony from <hear witnesses> intransitive verb 1. to have the capacity of apprehending sound 2. a. to gain information ; learn b. to receive communication <haven't heard from her lately> 3. to entertain the idea — used in the negative <wouldn't hear of it> 4. — often used in the expression Hear! Hear! to express approval (as during a speech) • hearer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. (past and past part. heard) 1 tr. (also absol.) perceive (sound etc.) with the ear. 2 tr. listen to (heard them on the radio). 3 tr. listen judicially to and judge (a case, plaintiff, etc.). 4 intr. (foll. by about, of, or that + clause) be told or informed. 5 intr. (foll. by from) be contacted by, esp. by letter or telephone. 6 tr. be ready to obey (an order). 7 tr. grant (a prayer). Phrases and idioms: have heard of be aware of; know of the existence of. hear! hear! int. expressing agreement (esp. with something said in a speech). hear a person out listen to all that a person says. hear say (or tell) (usu. foll. by of, or that + clause) be informed. will not hear of will not allow or agree to. Derivatives: hearable adj. hearer n. Etymology: OE hieran f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hear Hear, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Heard; p. pr. & vb. n. Hearing.] [OE. heren, AS,. hi['e]ran, h?ran, h?ran; akin to OS. h?rian, OFries. hera, hora, D. hooren, OHG. h?ren, G. h["o]ren, Icel. heyra, Sw: h["o]ra, Dan. hore, Goth. hausjan, and perh. to Gr. ?, E. acoustic. Cf. Hark, Hearken.] 1. To perceive by the ear; to apprehend or take cognizance of by the ear; as, to hear sounds; to hear a voice; to hear one call. Lay thine ear close to the ground, and list if thou canst hear the tread of travelers. --Shak. He had been heard to utter an ominous growl. --Macaulay. 2. To give audience or attention to; to listen to; to heed; to accept the doctrines or advice of; to obey; to examine; to try in a judicial court; as, to hear a recitation; to hear a class; the case will be heard to-morrow. 3. To attend, or be present at, as hearer or worshiper; as, to hear a concert; to hear Mass. 4. To give attention to as a teacher or judge. Thy matters are good and right, but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. --2 Sam. xv. 3. I beseech your honor to hear me one single word. --Shak. 5. To accede to the demand or wishes of; to listen to and answer favorably; to favor. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice. --Ps. cxvi. 1. They think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. --Matt. vi. 7. Hear him. See Remark, under Hear, v. i. To hear a bird sing, to receive private communication. [Colloq.] --Shak. To hear say, to hear one say; to learn by common report; to receive by rumor. [Colloq.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hear Hear, v. i. 1. To have the sense or faculty of perceiving sound. ``The Hearing ear.'' --Prov. xx. 12. 2. To use the power of perceiving sound; to perceive or apprehend by the ear; to attend; to listen. So spake our mother Eve, and Adam heard, Well pleased, but answered not. --Milton. 3. To be informed by oral communication; to be told; to receive information by report or by letter. I have heard, sir, of such a man. --Shak. I must hear from thee every day in the hour. --Shak. To hear ill, to be blamed. [Obs.] Not only within his own camp, but also now at Rome, he heard ill for his temporizing and slow proceedings. --Holland. To hear well, to be praised. [Obs.] Note: Hear, or Hear him, is often used in the imperative, especially in the course of a speech in English assemblies, to call attention to the words of the speaker. Hear him, . . . a cry indicative, according to the tone, of admiration, acquiescence, indignation, or derision. --Macaulay.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(hears, hearing, heard) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. When you hear a sound, you become aware of it through your ears. She heard no further sounds... They heard the protesters shout: 'No more fascism!'... And then we heard the bells ringing out... I'm not hearing properly. VERB: V n, V n inf, V n -ing, V 2. If you hear something such as a lecture or a piece of music, you listen to it. You can hear commentary on the match in about half an hour's time... I don't think you've ever heard Doris talking about her emotional life before... I'd love to hear it played by a professional orchestra. VERB: V n, V n -ing, V n -ed 3. If you say that you can hear someone saying something, you mean that you are able to imagine hearing it. Can't you just hear John Motson now?... 'I was hot,' I could still hear Charlotte say with her delicious French accent. VERB: no cont, V n, V n inf 4. When a judge or a court of law hears a case, or evidence in a case, they listen to it officially in order to make a decision about it. (FORMAL) The jury have heard evidence from defence witnesses... VERB: V n 5. If you hear from someone, you receive a letter or telephone call from them. Drop us a line, it's always great to hear from you... VERB: V from n 6. In a debate or discussion, if you hear from someone, you listen to them giving their opinion or information. What are you hearing from people there? VERB: V from n 7. If you hear some news or information about something, you find out about it by someone telling you, or from the radio or television. My mother heard of this school through Leslie... He had heard that the trophy had been sold... I had waited to hear the result... VERB: V of/about n, V that, V n 8. If you have heard of something or someone, you know about them, but not in great detail. Many people haven't heard of reflexology. ...people who, maybe, had hardly heard the word till a year or two ago. VERB: no cont, V of n, V n 9. If you say that you have heard something before, you mean that you are not interested in it, or do not believe it, or are not surprised about it, because you already know about it or have experienced it. Furness shrugs wearily. He has heard it all before... PHRASE: V inflects 10. During political debates and public meetings, people sometimes say 'Hear hear!' to express their agreement with what the speaker is saying. (BRIT FORMAL) CONVENTION [formulae] 11. If you say that you can't hear yourself think, you are complaining and emphasizing that there is a lot of noise, and that it is disturbing you or preventing you from doing something. (INFORMAL) For God's sake shut up. I can't hear myself think!... PHRASE: usu with brd-neg [emphasis] 12. If you say that you won't hear of someone doing something, you mean that you refuse to let them do it. I've always wanted to be an actor but Dad wouldn't hear of it... PHRASE: PHR n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Perceive by the ear. 2. Give audience to, listen to, attend to, hearken to. 3. Regard, heed, give heed to. 4. Try, examine judicially. II. v. n. 1. Enjoy the sense of hearing, exercise the sense of hearing, have hearing. 2. Listen, hearken, attend, give ear. 3. Be told, be informed, have an account, learn.

Moby Thesaurus

apprehend, approve of, arbitrate, ascertain, attend, attend to, auscultate, be all ears, be aware of, be conscious of, be informed, be sensible of, be told, bend an ear, bug, catch, catch on, charge the jury, cock the ears, condone, conduct a trial, consider, determine, discover, eavesdrop, entertain, examine by ear, experience, feel, find, find out, gather, get, get an earful, get wind of, give attention, give audience to, give ear, give ear to, hark, have the facts, hear of, hear out, hear tell of, hearken, hearken to, hearsay, heed, hold court, hold the scales, intercept, judge, know, know well, learn, lend an ear, listen, listen at, listen in, listen to, officiate, overhear, pay attention to, perceive, pick up, referee, respond, respond to stimuli, sanction, see, sense, sit in judgment, sit in on, smell, take in, tap, taste, touch, try, try a case, umpire, understand, unearth, wiretap