Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Ear \Ear\, n. [AS. e['a]re; akin to OFries. ['a]re, ['a]r, OS.
   ?ra, D. oor, OHG. ?ra, G. ohr, Icel. eyra, Sw. ["o]ra, Dan.
   ["o]re, Goth. auso, L. auris, Lith. ausis, Russ. ukho, Gr. ?;
   cf. L. audire to hear, Gr. ?, Skr. av to favor, protect. Cf.
   {Auricle}, {Orillon}.]
   1. The organ of hearing; the external ear.

   Note: In man and the higher vertebrates, the organ of hearing
         is very complicated, and is divisible into three parts:
         the external ear, which includes the pinna or auricle
         and meatus or external opening; the middle ear, drum,
         or tympanum; and the internal ear, or labyrinth. The
         middle ear is a cavity connected by the Eustachian tube
         with the pharynx, separated from the opening of the
         external ear by the tympanic membrane, and containing a
         chain of three small bones, or ossicles, named malleus,
         incus, and stapes, which connect this membrane with the
         internal ear. The essential part of the internal ear
         where the fibers of the auditory nerve terminate, is
         the membranous labyrinth, a complicated system of sacs
         and tubes filled with a fluid (the endolymph), and
         lodged in a cavity, called the bony labyrinth, in the
         periotic bone. The membranous labyrinth does not
         completely fill the bony labyrinth, but is partially
         suspended in it in a fluid (the perilymph). The bony
         labyrinth consists of a central cavity, the vestibule,
         into which three semicircular canals and the canal of
         the cochlea (spirally coiled in mammals) open. The
         vestibular portion of the membranous labyrinth consists
         of two sacs, the utriculus and sacculus, connected by a
         narrow tube, into the former of which three membranous
         semicircular canals open, while the latter is connected
         with a membranous tube in the cochlea containing the
         organ of Corti. By the help of the external ear the
         sonorous vibrations of the air are concentrated upon
         the tympanic membrane and set it vibrating, the chain
         of bones in the middle ear transmits these vibrations
         to the internal ear, where they cause certain delicate
         structures in the organ of Corti, and other parts of
         the membranous labyrinth, to stimulate the fibers of
         the auditory nerve to transmit sonorous impulses to the
         brain.

   2. The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power
      of discriminating between different tones; as, a nice ear
      for music; -- in the singular only.

            Songs . . . not all ungrateful to thine ear.
                                                  --Tennyson.

   3. That which resembles in shape or position the ear of an
      animal; any prominence or projection on an object, --
      usually one for support or attachment; a lug; a handle;
      as, the ears of a tub, a skillet, or dish. The ears of a
      boat are outside kneepieces near the bow. See Illust. of
      {Bell}.

   4. (Arch.)
      (a) Same as {Acroterium}.
      (b) Same as {Crossette}.

   5. Privilege of being kindly heard; favor; attention.

            Dionysius . . . would give no ear to his suit.
                                                  --Bacon.

            Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
                                                  --Shak.

   {About the ears}, in close proximity to; near at hand.

   {By the ears}, in close contest; as, to set by the ears; to
      fall together by the ears; to be by the ears.

   {Button ear} (in dogs), an ear which falls forward and
      completely hides the inside.

   {Ear finger}, the little finger.

   {Ear of Dionysius}, a kind of ear trumpet with a flexible
      tube; -- named from the Sicilian tyrant, who constructed a
      device to overhear the prisoners in his dungeons.

   {Ear sand} (Anat.), otoliths. See {Otolith}.

   {Ear snail} (Zo["o]l.), any snail of the genus {Auricula} and
      allied genera.

   {Ear stones} (Anat.), otoliths. See {Otolith}.

   {Ear trumpet}, an instrument to aid in hearing. It consists
      of a tube broad at the outer end, and narrowing to a
      slender extremity which enters the ear, thus collecting
      and intensifying sounds so as to assist the hearing of a
      partially deaf person.

   {Ear vesicle} (Zo["o]l.), a simple auditory organ, occurring
      in many worms, mollusks, etc. It consists of a small sac
      containing a fluid and one or more solid concretions or
      otocysts.

   {Rose ear} (in dogs), an ear which folds backward and shows
      part of the inside.

   {To give ear to}, to listen to; to heed, as advice or one
      advising. ``Give ear unto my song.'' --Goldsmith.

   {To have one's ear}, to be listened to with favor.

   {Up to the ears}, deeply submerged; almost overwhelmed; as,
      to be in trouble up to one's ears. [Colloq.]

Give \Give\ (g[i^]v), v. t. [imp. {Gave} (g[=a]v); p. p. {Given}
   (g[i^]v"'n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Giving}.] [OE. given, yiven,
   yeven, AS. gifan, giefan; akin to D. geven, OS. ge[eth]an,
   OHG. geban, G. geben, Icel. gefa, Sw. gifva, Dan. give, Goth.
   giban. Cf. {Gift}, n.]
   1. To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without
      compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as
      authority or permission; to yield up or allow.

            For generous lords had rather give than pay.
                                                  --Young.

   2. To yield possesion of; to deliver over, as property, in
      exchange for something; to pay; as, we give the value of
      what we buy.

            What shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?
                                                  --Matt. xvi.
                                                  26.

   3. To yield; to furnish; to produce; to emit; as, flint and
      steel give sparks.

   4. To communicate or announce, as advice, tidings, etc.; to
      pronounce; to render or utter, as an opinion, a judgment,
      a sentence, a shout, etc.

   5. To grant power or license to; to permit; to allow; to
      license; to commission.

            It is given me once again to behold my friend.
                                                  --Rowe.

            Then give thy friend to shed the sacred wine.
                                                  --Pope.

   6. To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to show;
      as, the number of men, divided by the number of ships,
      gives four hundred to each ship.

   7. To devote; to apply; used reflexively, to devote or apply
      one's self; as, the soldiers give themselves to plunder;
      also in this sense used very frequently in the past
      participle; as, the people are given to luxury and
      pleasure; the youth is given to study.

   8. (Logic & Math.) To set forth as a known quantity or a
      known relation, or as a premise from which to reason; --
      used principally in the passive form given.

   9. To allow or admit by way of supposition.

            I give not heaven for lost.           --Mlton.

   10. To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.

             I don't wonder at people's giving him to me as a
             lover.                               --Sheridan.

   11. To excite or cause to exist, as a sensation; as, to give
       offense; to give pleasure or pain.

   12. To pledge; as, to give one's word.

   13. To cause; to make; -- with the infinitive; as, to give
       one to understand, to know, etc.

             But there the duke was given to understand That in
             a gondola were seen together Lorenzo and his
             amorous Jessica.                     --Shak.

   {To give away}, to make over to another; to transfer.

            Whatsoever we employ in charitable uses during our
            lives, is given away from ourselves.  --Atterbury.

   {To give back}, to return; to restore. --Atterbury.

   {To give the bag}, to cheat. [Obs.]

            I fear our ears have given us the bag. --J. Webster.

   {To give birth to}.
       (a) To bear or bring forth, as a child.
       (b) To originate; to give existence to, as an enterprise,
           idea.

   {To give chase}, to pursue.

   {To give ear to}. See under {Ear}.

   {To give forth}, to give out; to publish; to tell. --Hayward.

   {To give ground}. See under {Ground}, n.

   {To give the hand}, to pledge friendship or faith.

   {To give the hand of}, to espouse; to bestow in marriage.

   {To give the head}. See under {Head}, n.

   {To give in}.
       (a) To abate; to deduct.
       (b) To declare; to make known; to announce; to tender;
           as, to give in one's adhesion to a party.

   {To give the lie to} (a person), to tell (him) that he lies.
      

   {To give line}. See under {Line}.

   {To give off}, to emit, as steam, vapor, odor, etc.

   {To give one's self away}, to make an inconsiderate surrender
      of one's cause, an unintentional disclosure of one's
      purposes, or the like. [Colloq.]

   {To give out}.
       (a) To utter publicly; to report; to announce or declare.

                 One that gives out himself Prince Florizel.
                                                  --Shak.

                 Give out you are of Epidamnum.   --Shak.
       (b) To send out; to emit; to distribute; as, a substance
           gives out steam or odors.

   {To give over}.
       (a) To yield completely; to quit; to abandon.
       (b) To despair of.
       (c) To addict, resign, or apply (one's self).

                 The Babylonians had given themselves over to
                 all manner of vice.              --Grew.

   {To give place}, to withdraw; to yield one's claim.

   {To give points}.
       (a) In games of skill, to equalize chances by conceding a
           certain advantage; to allow a handicap.
       (b) To give useful suggestions. [Colloq.]

   {To give rein}. See under {Rein}, n.

   {To give the sack}. Same as {To give the bag}.

   {To give and take}.
       (a) To average gains and losses.
       (b) To exchange freely, as blows, sarcasms, etc.

   {To give time}
       (Law), to accord extension or forbearance to a debtor.
             --Abbott.

   {To give the time of day}, to salute one with the compliment
      appropriate to the hour, as ``good morning.'' ``good
      evening'', etc.

   {To give tongue}, in hunter's phrase, to bark; -- said of
      dogs.

   {To give up}.
       (a) To abandon; to surrender. ``Don't give up the ship.''

                 He has . . . given up For certain drops of
                 salt, your city Rome.            --Shak.
       (b) To make public; to reveal.

                 I'll not state them By giving up their
                 characters.                      --Beau. & Fl.
       (c) (Used also reflexively.)

   {To give up the ghost}. See under {Ghost}.

   {To give one's self up}, to abandon hope; to despair; to
      surrender one's self.

   {To give way}.
       (a) To withdraw; to give place.
       (b) To yield to force or pressure; as, the scaffolding
           gave way.
       (c) (Naut.) To begin to row; or to row with increased
           energy.
       (d) (Stock Exchange). To depreciate or decline in value;
           as, railroad securities gave way two per cent.

   {To give way together}, to row in time; to keep stroke.

   Syn: To {Give}, {Confer}, {Grant}.

   Usage: To give is the generic word, embracing all the rest.
          To confer was originally used of persons in power, who
          gave permanent grants or privileges; as, to confer the
          order of knighthood; and hence it still denotes the
          giving of something which might have been withheld;
          as, to confer a favor. To grant is to give in answer
          to a petition or request, or to one who is in some way
          dependent or inferior.