v. heard (hûrd), hear·ing, hears
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 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:
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.