1. The organ of hearing: This is the most common meaning. It's the part of the body that allows us to hear sounds.
2. A grain of cereal: This refers to the edible seed of certain plants, like corn or wheat.
3. To listen attentively: For example, "I really need to ear what you have to say." This usage is less common but still valid.
4. To tilt one's head to listen: You might "ear" towards someone to hear them better.
5. To cultivate or harvest crops: This usage is primarily used in the past tense, like "the farmer eared the corn last week."
6. To make a particular sound: For example, "The car eared a loud bang."
To understand the meaning of "ear" in a specific context, you need to look at the surrounding words and phrases.
For example, in the phrase "I have a pain in my ear," the word "ear" clearly refers to the organ of hearing. However, in the phrase "We eared the corn last week," the word "eared" refers to the act of harvesting crops.