give ear
English
Pronunciation
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Verb
give ear
- (idiomatic, archaic, intransitive) To listen: to devote one's attention to an auditory event.
- c. 1597, William Shakespeare, “The Merry VViues of VVindsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:
- Give ear to his motions: Master Slender, I will description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it.
- (Can we date this quote?) Dante Gabriel Rosetti, A Death-Parting, lines 5-6
- Leaves and rain and the days of the year,
- (Water-willow and wellaway,)
- All these fall, and my soul gives ear
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