a word in someone's ear

A private word with someone

be all ears

To give every attention

fall on deaf ears

(of a remark, request, etc) to be ignored

give ear

To attend (to)

go in (at) one ear and out (at) the other

To make no permanent impression

have itching ears

To want to hear news (Bible, 2 Timothy 4.3)

have or keep one's ear to the ground

To keep oneself well-informed about what is going on around one

have someone's ear

To be sure of someone's favourable attention

lend an ear

To listen (to)

make a pig's ear of see pig¹

make someone's ears burn

To discuss someone in his or her absence

out on one's ear (informal)

Dismissed swiftly and without politeness

pin back one's ears

To listen attentively

pin back someone's ears

To reprimand, rebuke

play by ear

To play on a musical instrument without the help of written music

play it by ear

To deal with a situation as it develops without advance planning

set by the ears

To set violently against each other

tickle the ear of

To gratify, pander to the taste of or flatter

turn a deaf ear

To refuse to listen (to)

up to one's ears in

Deeply involved in

walls have ears

Someone may be listening

wet behind the ears (informal)

Naïve, immature

word /wûrd/

noun

1. The smallest unit of language that can be used independently
2. Such a unit represented in writing or printing, usu separated off by spaces
3. (in pl) language as a means of communication
4. A saying or expression
5. A brief conversation
6. A rumour
7. A hint
8. A signal or sign, as in say the word
9. A message, as in send word
10. One's solemn promise
11. One's expressed will or wishes
12. A declaration
13. News or information
14. A password
15. A watchword
16. A war cry
17. (in pl) verbal contention
18. (in pl) discussion in contrast to action
19. (in pl) the lyrics of a song, etc
20. (in pl) the text of an actor's part in a play
21. Used as combining form after a letter, to mean ‘that (esp unmentionable or taboo) word beginning with’, eg m-word for ‘marriage’ (informal)
22. A set of bits stored and transferred as a single unit of meaning (computing)

transitive verb

1. To express in (esp carefully chosen) words
2. To speak to, or of, in words (obsolete; rare)
3. To flatter (Shakespeare)

intransitive verb (obsolete)

To speak, talk

wordˈage noun

1. Words generally, esp text as opposed to pictures, etc
2. Verbiage, wordiness
3. Quantity of words, length of text
4. Choice of words, wording

wordˈed adjective

Expressed in words

wordˈily adverb

wordˈiness noun

The quality of being wordy

wordˈing noun

1. The process of expressing in words
2. Choice of words, phrasing
3. Speaking, utterance (archaic)

wordˈish adjective (obsolete)

Verbose

wordˈishness noun

wordˈless adjective

1. Unspoken
2. Silent

wordˈlessly adverb

wordˈlessness noun

wordˈy adjective

1. Using too many words to say something, long-winded, esp pompously so
2. Conducted in words

word association noun (psychiatry)

The psychoanalytic practice of giving patients a word to which they have to respond with the first word that occurs to them, a technique believed to afford insights into the unconscious

word bite noun (informal)

Any brief quotable item from a speech, etc, sounding as if it carries an important message

wordˈ-blind adjective

word blindness noun

The lack or loss of the ability to read, a non-technical name for both alexia and dyslexia

wordˈbook noun

1. A book with a collection of words
2. A dictionary or vocabulary

wordˈbound adjective

1. Unable to find expression in words
2. Bound by a promise

wordˈbreak noun (printing)

The point of division in a word that runs onto the following line

wordˈ-building noun

The formation of words from letters or from root words and affixes

word class noun

A set of words that all share a common grammatical property

wordˈ-deaf adjective

Affected by word deafness, inability to distinguish words, resulting from damage to the auditory part of the brain

wordˈ-finder noun

1. A book designed as a tool for finding a required word
2. A thesaurus

wordˈgame noun

Any game or puzzle in which words have to be constructed, deciphered, etc

wordˈlore noun

Information about the history, use, etc of words

word memory noun

The power of recalling words to the mind

word order noun

The sequence in which words are arranged in a sentence, relevant to the sense in many languages, including English

wordˈ-painter noun

wordˈ-painting noun

The act or art of describing vividly in words

wordˈ-perˈfect adjective

Having memorized (words to be repeated, recited, etc) exactly

word picture noun

A description in words that presents an object, scene, etc, to the mind as if in a picture

wordˈplay noun

Punning or witty repartee exploiting verbal ambiguity, etc

word processing noun

The arranging and storing of text with the aid of a word processor

word processor noun

Any of several types of machine that perform electronically the tasks of typing, data-recording, dictating, transcribing, etc, usu incorporating screens for visual display

wordˈ-puzzler noun

A person who engages in puzzles or games involving words

word salad noun (psychology)

A confused outpouring of speech consisting of real and non-existent words, typically occurring in severe cases of schizophrenia

wordˈsearch noun

A puzzle consisting of a grid filled with letters, within which various words are hidden

wordˈsmith noun

1. An accomplished user of words (sometimes ironic)
2. A coiner of words

wordˈsmithery noun

wordˈ-splitting noun

Hair-splitting, quibbling

word square noun

A square grid composed of a set of words that read the same down as they do across

word wrapping or word wrap noun (computing)

(on a screen) the automatic placing of a line feed between words so that any text placed beyond the right hand end of a line is moved to the start of the next line, wraparound

at a word

1. Without more ado, at once
2. To be brief, in short (obsolete)

a word in someone's ear

A confidential conversation

be as good as one's word

To keep one's promise

break one's word

To fail to keep one's promise

by word of mouth

Orally, through the spoken word (wordˈ-of-mouthˈ adjective)

eat one's words

To retract what one has said, or apologize for it, usu under compulsion

fair words (archaic)

Pleasant, conciliatory words, usu implying flattery or deceit

get a word in edgeways

To interpose what one needs to say with difficulty into a conversation dominated by others or another

have a word with

To speak to, usu for some specific purpose

have no words for

To be at a loss to describe or express

have words

To quarrel, dispute (with with)

in a (or one) word

In short, to sum up

in other words

Saying the same thing in a different way

in so many words

1. Explicitly
2. Bluntly

in word

In one's speech or professions only, in contrast to one's deeds

keep one's word

To fulfil one's promise

my word or (old) upon my word

A mild interjection expressing surprise, dismay, etc

not the word for it

Not a strong enough word to express or describe it

of few (or many) words

Taciturn (or verbose)

of one's word

(in a man of his word, etc) having a reputation for keeping one's promises

on my word

On my honour, truly

pass one's word

To make a promise

put in a good word for

To make commendatory mention of (someone) in a quarter where it will do him or her good

put words into someone's mouth

To attribute or supply to someone words that he or she did not, or does not intend to, use

take someone at his (or her) word

To take someone's offer, etc literally

take someone's word for it

To accept what someone says as true, when one has no means of knowing personally

take (or take up) the word

To begin speaking or continue a discourse begun by someone else

take the words out of someone's mouth

To say exactly what someone else was about to say

the last word

1. The closing remark in an argument, esp if having an appearance of conclusiveness
2. The conclusive statement
3. The ultimate authority
4. (also the latest word) the most up-to-date design or model, the most recent advance in something or a consummate example of it

the Word (of God) (Christianity)

1. The Scriptures
2. The gospel message
3. The second person in the Trinity, the Logos

too funny, stupid, etc for words (informal)

Exceptionally funny, stupid, etc

word for word

Literally, verbatim

words fail me

I am unable to express my feelings or reaction