overhear
English
Etymology
From Middle English *overheren, from Old English oferhīeran (“to overhear, hear, disobey, disregard, neglect”), equivalent to over- + hear. Cognate with Dutch overhoren (“to hear, hear about”), German überhören (“to not hear, ignore”), Danish overhøre (“to overhear”), Icelandic yfirheyra (“to hear”), Gothic *𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (*ufarhausjan, “to disregard, disobey”) (in 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (ufarhauseins)).
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 333: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /oʊ.vɚˈhɪɚ/
- Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
Verb
overhear (third-person singular simple present overhears, present participle overhearing, simple past and past participle overheard)
- (transitive, intransitive) To hear something that was not meant for one's ears.
- I was hanging clothes in the garden and I overheard the neighbours talking about Sheila's pregnancy.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
To hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
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- English terms inherited from Middle English
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- English terms inherited from Old English
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- Rhymes:English/ɪə(ɹ)
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