earshot

English

Etymology

From ear +‎ shot.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɪəˌʃɒt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɪɹˌʃɑt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

earshot (usually uncountable, plural earshots)

1. (idiomatic) A distance from which sound is still audible.

   I'll row out on the lake but stay within earshot.

   • 1948 August, Aldous Huxley, Ape and Essence, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC:

     Loola glances about her to make sure that nobody is within earshot, then speaks at last almost in a whisper.

   • 1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC:

     When Atticus was out of earshot Jem yelled after him: “I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but I ain’t so sure now!”

   • 2013, Buton Richen Drup, Buton's History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet:

     Ananda hit the target, an iron drum, from a distance of two earshots. Devadatta, from a distance of four earshots, Sundarananda from a distance of six earshots, and Dandapani [found his target] from one league.

Usage notes

• Usually used in the phrases in/within earshot and out of earshot.

Synonyms

• sound

Derived terms

• eyeshot
• noseshot
• tongueshot

Translations

distance

• Danish: hørevidde c
• Dutch: gehoorsafstand (nl) m
• Finnish: kuuloetäisyys, kuulomatka
• French: portée de voix f
• German: Hörweite (de) f, Rufweite (de) f
• Hungarian: hallótávolság (hu)
• Icelandic: kallfæri (is) n
• Irish: raon cluas m
• Italian: a portata di orecchio (within earshot)
• Scottish Gaelic: èisteachd f
• Spanish: alcance del oído m, a la voz (adverb)
• Welsh: clyw m

Anagrams

• asthore, haroset, soareth, toshear