Forms: 1 éar, eher, æhher, æchir, 2 eher, 3 er, 3–5 ere, 5 eere, ȝer, 6–7 eare, 7– ear. For Sc. forms see ICKER. [OE. éar (WS.), eher, æhher (Northumb.), æchir (? Mercian) = OHG. ehir, ahir (MHG. eher neut., mod.G. ähre fem., Du. aar), ON. ax (Sw., Da. ax), Goth. ahs (genit. ahsis) neut.:—OTeut. *ahoz-, of same meaning = Lat. acus (genit. -ĕris) neut., husk of corn. Words radically of the same origin and signification are AWN, AIL sb.2]
A spike or head of corn; the part of a cereal plant that contains its flowers or seeds. In († OE. on) the ear, in ear: said of corn when in the stage at which it bears ears; cf. in flower.
a. 800. Corp. Gloss., 1892. Spicas, ear.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xii. 1. Hys leorning-cnihtas … ongunnun pluccian þa ear [c. 950 Lindisf. eheru; c. 975 Rushw. æchir; c. 1160 Hatton ear]. Ibid., Mark iv. 28. Syþþan fullne hwæte on þam eare [c. 950 Lindisf. eher; c. 975 Rushw. æhher; c. 1160 Hatton eare].
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2104. Vii. eares wexen fette of coren.
1297. R. Glouc., 490. Tho grene corn in Somer ssolde curne, To foule wormes muchedel the eres gonne turne.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. clvi. (1495), 707. The heedis of corn eres ben arerid vpwarde.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., VII. 16. Now gynneth barly ripe and is to amende Er the eere to breke and shedde it.
1483. Cath. Angl., 116. An Ere of corne; spica, arista.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, 136. We ought to ryde now … while the corne is in the eere.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 13. Sprot-barley hath a flat eare.
1611. Bible, Ex. ix. 31. The barley was in the eare.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, II. (1749), 133. The ripen’d Grain, whose bending Ears Invite the Reaper’s Hand.
1819. J. Q. Adams, in C. Davies, Metric Syst., III. (1871), 93. Thirty-two kernels of wheat from the middle of the ear.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. Marking each little object on his road, An insect, sprig of grass, and ear of grain.
