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hear (hîr)
Share:
v. heard (hûrd), hear·ing, hears
v.tr.
1. To perceive (sound) by the ear: Can you hear the signal?
2. To learn by hearing; be told by others: I heard she got married.
3.
a. To listen to (something) attentively or in an official capacity, as in a court: heard the last witness in the afternoon.
b. To listen to and consider favorably: Lord, hear my prayer!
c. To attend or participate in: hear Mass.
v.intr.
1. To be capable of perceiving sound.
2. To receive news or information; learn: I heard about your accident.
3. To consider, permit, or consent to something. Used only in the negative: I won't hear of your going!
Phrasal Verb:
hear from
1. To get a letter, telephone call, or transmitted communication from.
2. To be reprimanded by: If you don't do your homework, you're going to hear from me.
Idioms:
hear, hear
Used to express approval.
never hear the end of
To be complained to or told about (something) repeatedly or for a long time.
[Middle English hearen, Old English hīeran; see kous- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
hearer n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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