| Compound Forms: |
WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2026:
| bend an ear v expr | figurative (listen) | prestar el oído expr |
| bend [sb]'s ear v expr | (talk to [sb], esp. to ask a favor) (figurado, coloquial) | comerle la oreja a expr |
| | (figurado, coloquial) | quemarle la cabeza a expr |
| bend [sb]'s ear v expr | figurative, informal (bore [sb] by talking uninterruptedly) (coloquial) | dar la lata a alguien loc verb + prep |
| | (ES: coloquial) | dar la tabarra a alguien loc verb + prep |
| | (AR: coloquial) | quemarle el cerebro a alguien loc verb + prep |
| | (CO: coloquial) | echarle carreta a alguien loc verb + prep |
| cauliflower ear | (scarred ear) | oreja de coliflor loc nom f |
| dog-ear n | figurative, informal (turned-down page corner) | esquina doblada nf + adj |
| dog-ear [sth]⇒ vtr | informal (page: turn down corner) | doblar la esquina de una página loc verb |
| ear canal n | (auditory passage) | canal auditivo loc nom m |
| | Your ear canal is clogged with wax. |
| | Tu canal auditivo está tapado con cera. |
| ear drops | (medicine) | gotas para los oídos nfpl + loc adj |
| ear for music n | (musical aptitude) | oído para la música nm + loc adj |
| | Colin has an ear for music, and can play several instruments. |
| | Colin tiene oído para la música y puede tocar varios instrumentos. |
| ear implant n | (cochlear device that aids hearing) | implante coclear loc nom m |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. El implante coclear requiere una trepanación del cráneo. |
| ear irrigation n | (ear-cleaning process) | limpieza de oído nf + loc adj |
| ear lobe n | (soft fleshy lower part of ear) | lóbulo de la oreja loc nom m |
| | Melissa had her ear lobes pierced so she could wear studs. |
| | Melisa tenía agujereados los lóbulos de la oreja así que podía usar aros. |
| ear muffs npl | (item worn to keep ears warm) | orejeras nfpl |
| | Si no uso las orejeras en invierno me salen sabañones. |
ear,
nose,
and throat (US),
ear,
nose and throat (UK) n as adj | (ENT: relating to otorhinolaryngology) | otorrinolaringológico adj |
| ear of corn n | (seed bearing spike of corn) | mazorca de maíz nf + loc adj |
| | (AmS) | choclo nm |
| | (MX) | elote nm |
| | She was so hungry that she ate three ears of corn. |
| | Tenía tanta hambre que se comió tres mazorcas de maíz. |
| | Tenía tanta hambre que se comió tres choclos. |
| ear piercing n | (hole in ear for jewellery) | piercing en la oreja grupo nom |
| ear piercing n | (making holes in ears for jewellery) | perforación de orejas grupo nom |
| | | agujero en la oreja grupo nom |
ear-piercing,
ear-splitting adj | figurative (scream, etc.: high-pitched) (sonido) | estridente adj mf |
| | (persona, figurado) | estridente adj mf |
| ear stretcher n | (plug for enlarging ear piercing) | expansor de oreja nm + loc adj |
| | | expansor nm |
| ear tag | (agriculture) | crotal nm |
| | (ganadería) | etiqueta RFID loc nom f |
| | | etiqueta de oreja nf + loc adj |
| ear trumpet n | (early hearing aid) | trompetilla nf |
ear wrap,
ear band n | (jewellery) | arete envolvente loc nom m |
| | | aro envolvente loc nom m |
earplug,
ear plug,
ear-plug n | usually plural (plug worn in ears to block noise) | tapón nm |
| | | tapón de oídos, tapón para oídos nm + loc adj |
| | Remember to put earplugs in before entering the woodshop. |
| | Recuerde ponerte tapones antes de entrar a la carpintería. |
| earring n | often plural (jewellery worn in ear) (ES) | pendiente nm |
| | | aro, arete nm |
| | (PR) | pantalla nf |
| | | zarcillo nm |
| | Elizabeth was searching the floor for her lost earring. |
| | Elizabeth estaba buscando en el piso su pendiente perdido. |
earwax,
ear wax n | (substance secreted by the ear) | cera nf |
| | (AmL) | cerilla nf |
| | | cera de los oídos loc nom f |
| | (formal) | cerumen nm |
| | Mites in the ears can cause increased amounts of earwax in cats. |
| | La ácaros en los oídos pueden causar un incremento de cera en los gatos. |
| ENT n as adj | initialism (medicine: ear, nose, and throat) | otorrinolaringológico adj |
| external ear n | (anatomy) (anatomía) | oído externo loc nom m |
| flea in your ear n | figurative, informal (rebuke) | reprimenda nf |
| go in one ear and out the other v expr | figurative, informal (instructions, advice: be ignored) (figurado, informal) | caer en saco roto expr |
| | (figurado, informal) | entrar por un oído y salir por el otro expr |
| | | ignorar⇒ vtr |
have your ear to the ground,
keep your ear to the ground v expr | figurative (be well-informed) (informal) | tener los oídos abiertos loc verb |
hearing dog,
hearing-ear dog n | (canine: assists a deaf person) | perro señal loc nom m |
| inner ear n | (anatomy: transmits sound to brain) | oído interno loc nom m |
| | Years of boxing have caused extensive damage to his inner ear. |
| | Los años de boxeo le han causado mucho daño a su oído interno. |
| internal ear | (anatomy) | oído interno loc nom m |
| lend an ear v expr | figurative, dated (listen to [sb]) | prestar atención, escuchar con atención, escuchar atentamente loc verb |
| | When I need someone to talk to, Patricia is always willing to lend an ear. |
lend an ear to [sb],
lend [sb] an ear v expr | figurative, dated (listen) (antiguo) | prestar oído a loc verb |
| | "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." - William Shakespeare |
| | | prestar atención a loc verb |
| | | escuchar a vtr + prep |
| lop ear n | (deformity of the ear) | orejas en asa nfpl |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Le hicieron una autoplastia para corregirle las orejas en asa. |
| middle ear n | (middle portion of the ear) | oído medio loc nom m |
ormer,
sea ear n | chiefly UK (abalone: Channel Island) | oreja de mar loc nom f |
| out on your ear expr | (thrown out) (echar a alguien) | poner a alguien de patitas en la calle loc verb + prep |
| | (ser expulsado) | irse a la calle loc verb |
| | The boss threatened to hurl Joe out on his ear if he was late again. If you don't pay the rent, you'll find yourself out on your ear! |
| | El jefe amenazó con poner a Joe de patitas en la calle si volvía a llegar tarde. |
| | ¡Si no paga el alquiler, se va a la calle! |
| outer ear n | (external parts of the ear) | oreja nf |
| | The outer ear is one of the first parts of the body to get frostbite in very cold weather. |
| | En climas muy fríos hay que protegerse las orejas, se congelan con mucha facilidad. |
| | | oído externo nm |
| | El oído externo es una de las primeras partes del cuerpo que se queda helada cuando hace frío. |
| pierced ear n | (ear with hole for wearing jewellery) | oreja agujereada nf + adj |
| | You often see a man with one pierced ear, but women usually pierce both ears. |
| | | lóbulo perforado nm + adj |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Yo ya tenía los lóbulos perforados pero me hice hacer dos agujeros más de cada lado. |
| pig's ear n | (ear of a pig) | oreja de cerdo grupo nom |
| pig's ear n | UK, figurative (mess, botched job) | desastre nm |
| play it by ear v expr | figurative (improvise) | ver qué pasa loc verb |
| | | improvisar⇒ vi |
| | What will we do tomorrow? Let's play it by ear. |
| | | improvisar⇒ vtr |
| | No sé cómo lo voy a hacer, ya inventaré algo sobre la marcha. |
| put a bug in [sb]'s ear v expr | US, figurative (make a subtle suggestion to) | hacer una sugerencia sutil a alguien loc verb |
send [sb] away with a flea in his ear,
send [sb] away with a flea in her ear v expr | figurative, informal (tell [sb] to go away) | despachar a alguien vtr + prep |
| | (ES: coloquial) | echar a alguien con cajas destempladas loc verb + prep |
| swimmer's ear n | (pathology) | oído de nadador loc nom m |
| tin ear n | figurative (not sensitive to music) | oído sordo loc nom m |
| tin ear n | figurative (not sensitive to language nuance) | oído sordo loc nom m |
| turn a deaf ear v expr | figurative (be unwilling to listen) | hacer oídos sordos expr |
| | (ES) | hacerse el sueco expr |
| turn a deaf ear to [sb/sth] v expr | figurative (be unwilling to listen to) | hacer oídos sordos a loc verb |
| | | no prestarle atención a loc verb |
| | He needs to believe in himself and turn a deaf ear to his critics. |
whisper sweet nothings to [sb],
whisper sweet nothings in [sb]'s ear v expr | (talk romantically to) | susurrar cosas románticas loc verb |
| wood ear mushroom n | (variety of edible fungus) (variedad de hongo) | oreja de Judas nf |
| you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear expr | (poor materials make poor products) | aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona queda expr |