▪ I. listen, n.
(ˈlɪs(ə)n)
[f. listen v.]
† 1. Hearing, sense of hearing. Obs.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 586 He þat fetly in face fettled alle eres If he has losed the lysten hit lyftez meruayle. |
2. a. The action or an act of listening; a spell of listening or attentive hearing. Also listen-out (after look-out). Chiefly in phr. on or upon the listen: in the act of listening.
| 1788 ‘Aspasia’ in Amer. Museum iv. 565 Every time the door opens, or a foot is on the stairs, you are on the listen. 1803 M. Charlton Wife & Mistress II. 151 They are always upon the listen in this house. 1807 tr. Three Germans I. 6 Not the faintest..sound..reached their attentive listen. Ibid. II. 30 He remained upon the silent listen. 1817–18 Cobbett Resid. U.S. (1822) 206 The anxious listen, the wistful look, and the dropping tear, of the disconsolate dams. 1834 J. Wilson in Blackw. Mag. XXXVI. 729 They were alarmed, as they kept a listen-out, by an incessant barking. 1840 New Monthly Mag. LIX. 397 Mrs. Hawkey is..clearing her throat for a long talk, myself settled down..for a long listen. 1884 Fenn Sweet Mace II. xiii. 223 She was often on the watch, and always on the listen. 1935 World-Radio 5 July 9/1 People like me, who..are constantly on the listen with half an ear for something. 1968 J. Philips Hot Summer Killing (1969) iii. ii. 138 Take a listen while I try to find Jerry. 1968 C. Watson Charity ends at Home x. 122 So what I did was to pull off to the side and have a proper listen under the lid. 1970 P. Bair Tribunal ii. i. 60 ‘Did you have a nice talk?’ ‘I had a long listen.’ 1971 It 2–16 June 19/3 Give it a listen. |
b. listen-in, a period of listening to a broadcast, telephone conversation, etc. Cf. listen v. 2 e.
| 1922 Daily Mail 30 Nov. 7 A listen-in. The Queen..listened to a recitation sent out from Marconi House. 1946 Philadelphia Bulletin 1 Aug. 3 An occasional listen-in on the..[telephone] line later convinced company men. |
▪ II. listen, v.
(ˈlɪs(ə)n)
Forms: 1 Northumb. lysna, 3 lustnie, -in, pa. pple. i-lustned, 3–4 lustne(n, listne(n, 4 pa. tense and pple. lisnyt, lesnyt, 4–5 lesten, -yn, -in, li-, lystyn, -in, 4–6 lysten, 5 lystny, 7 lissen, 3– listen.
[ONorthumb. lysna, *hlysna, corresp. to MHG. lüsenen:—OTeut. type *hlusinôjan, f. Teut. root *hlus-: see list n.1 From the same root is OE. hlosnian (:—OTeut. type *hlos-, hlusnôjan) to listen. The forms with t are due to association with the synonymous list v.1]
1. a. trans. To hear attentively; to give ear to; to pay attention to (a person speaking or what is said). Now arch. and poet.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xiii. 18 Gie forðon ᵹeheras vel lysnas bisena ðæs sauende. c 1205 Lay. 25128 Þa heo hafden longe i-lustned þan kinge. c 1220 Bestiary 398 Listneð nu a wunder. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2137 King pharaon listnede hise red. a 1300–1400 Cursor M. 20590 (Gött.) Listnes þe bone þat scho him bad. c 1350 Will. Palerne 4607 Ladis & oþer lordes lesteneþ now my sawe! c 1400 Destr. Troy 8421 Lystyn my wordes. c 1476 J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 159 If it lyke you to lystyn him. 1590 Greene Orl. Fur. (1599) 25 What messenger hath Ate sent abroad With idle lookes to listen my laments? 1634 Milton Comus 551 At which I ceas't, and listen'd them a while. 1795 Southey Joan of Arc v. 310 The tale of all the ills she hath endured I listen. 1823 Byron Juan xiii. xlviii, Listening debates not very wise or witty. 1830 Tennyson Ode to Memory iii, Listening the lordly music flowing from The illimitable years. |
† b. With two objects: To hear (something) from (a person). Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 288 Þe chance listnes me. |
2. a. intr. To give attention with the ear to some sound or utterance; to make an effort to hear something; to ‘give ear’.
| c 1205 Lay. 26357 He lustnede [later text luste] ȝeorne. c 1225 Leg. Kath. 785 We schulen lustnin hu þi lauerd & ti leof..wule werien to dei þine leasunges. a 1275 Prov. ælfred 212 in O.E. Misc. 115 Lustlike lustine [v.r. lustnie; earlier text Lvsteþ]..lef dere. c 1315 Shoreham i. 2091 Nou lestne. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1929 Now listenes, lef lordes, þis lessoun þus i ginne. 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 72 He..lisnyt full ententily Gif he oucht herd of thare cummyng. c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 20 Listinythe a while and ye shall see. 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 566/1 Asculto, to lystny. 1530 Palsgr. 612/2 Lysten at the crevysse if thou cannest here any by [sic] steryng. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 627 And in their motions harmonie Divine So smooths her charming tones, that Gods own ear Listens delighted. a 1703 Burkitt On N.T., Mark i. 45 Christ doth not stay in the crowd with his ear open to listen how men admire the preacher. 1781 Cowper Retirement 448 A man..Who..Speaks with reserve, and listens with applause. 1875 G. W. Dasent Vikings I. xii. 162 Every one listened what he would add to such a clever beginning. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 323 They will be sure to listen if they find that you are a good speaker. |
| fig. 1842 Tennyson Godiva 54 The deep air listen'd round her as she rode. |
b. Const. to (unto): to give ear to (= sense 1); also, in extended sense, to give heed to, allow oneself to be persuaded by.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 462/2 Lustniez nouþe to mi speche. a 1300–1400 Cursor M. 6451 heading (Gött.), Listens nou vnto mi saw. c 1450 Merlin 11 The holy man lestned well to all hir confession. 1595 Shakes. John iii. i. 198 King Philip, listen to the Cardinall. 1611 Bible Isa. xlix. 1. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Durham (1662) i. 295 Lissen to Mr. Cambden his Character of him. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 908 List'n not to his Temptations. 1748 Anson's Voy. i. i. 8 These officers..were much listened to by some considerable persons. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. v. 375 Henry must have been compelled to listen to many such invectives. 1883 ― Short Stud. IV. i. xi. 139 Boys and girls found him always ready to listen to their small distresses. |
c. † to listen of: to hear tell of. † to listen on = listen to. to listen for, † listen after: to be eager or make an effort to catch the sound of; to endeavour to hear or to hear of. to listen out, to listen for a sound, e.g. on a radio receiver.
| a 1300–1400 Cursor M. 22431 (Gött.) If ȝe of þaim will listen a trau, I sal ȝu tell of þaim sothsau. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 402 Of a prince proude in play Listneþ, lordinges dere. ? a 1400 Lydg. Chorle & Byrde (Roxb.) 14 To heere of wisedom thyn eeres ben half deef Lyke an asse that lystneth on an harpe. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, i. iii. 152, I will..listen after Humfrey, how he proceedes. 1597 ― 2 Hen. IV, i. i. 29 Heere comes my Seruant Trauers, whom I sent..to listen after Newes. 1642 R. Carpenter Experience Pref. 15, I beg..that they will so farre listen after me..as to take notice..what becomes of me. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. iii. iv. 160 Scholars listen after Libraries, Disputations, and Professours. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones x. vi, She pricks up her ears to listen after the voice of her pursuer. 1859 Tennyson Elaine 862 The sick man..Would listen for her coming. ― Enid 184 While they listen'd for the distant hunt. 1871 Farrar Witn. Hist. i. 26 Then must science and civilisation listen for the voice of a new deliverer. 1910 A. Bennett Clayhanger iii. v. 362 Don't latch the door. Pull it to. I'll listen out. 1945 Tee Emm (Air Ministry) V. 35 Owing to the fact that they were listening out on channel ‘A’ instead of channel ‘B’, he failed to make contact. 1946 L. E. O. Charlton R. Air Force July 1943 to Sept. 1944 21 (caption) This photograph..depicts a scene in the flying control room—‘listening out’ to bring the Lancasters back to base. 1959 Listener 16 July 111/3 Initially I was afraid that the work would founder in an over-poetic fog but Mr. Bradnum was worth listening out for. 1971 J. Wainwright Last Buccaneer i. 49 We need receiving equipment to listen-out—to pinpoint every wavelength. 1974 D. Kyle Raft of Swords xiii. 140 He searched the air waves... For several days he had ‘listened out’ to a Russian ship with three operators aboard. |
† d. to listen one's ears (or an ear) to: = b. Obs.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) Y iv, I neuer..lystened myne eares to murmures. 1579 Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 726/2 If we listen our eares to obey that that is shewed vs here. a 1656 Ussher Ann. (1658) 559 The Citizens would by no means lissen an eare to the accusation. |
e. to listen in, to listen to a broadcast programme, etc.; to listen secretly to a telephone conversation. Also const. to, on, and transf.
| 1905 Electrician 20 Jan. 532/1 At the end of the first section the operator on the ship listened in for a reply. At last he took off the telephone. 1915 A. F. Collins Bk. Wireless p. vii, A boy sitting..at home with..a telephone receiver to his ear listening-in to the news of the world. 1920 Wireless World Jan. 594/2 While ‘listening-in’, the switch..is placed over to the right. 1926 Daily Chron. 13 May 3/1 By the primitive process of passing it from lip to lip the news sped ‘like wildfire’ amongst the London millions who were not listening in, but were just sitting in their offices or lunching in the restaurants, or walking about the streets. 1928 Chambers's Jrnl. Jan. 27/2 None of us could help ‘listening in’ to the fun that was going on in the kitchen. 1931 Boys' Mag. XLV. 99/2 Patients..are able to listen-in to the Radio programmes by means of headphones. 1939 Mrs. Belloc Lowndes Diary 5 Oct. (1971) 180, I asked him if he ever listened in, whereupon he said in an explosive tone: ‘never’. I observed that one learnt a great deal from listening in. 1973 ‘H. Carmichael’ Too Late for Tears xv. 175 His wife wasn't involved... If she had been she wouldn't have wanted us to listen-in on that phone conversation. 1973 ‘M. Innes’ Appleby's Answer v. 49 They have forgotten about you and resumed their tittle-tattle. Whereupon you listen in. 1973 Radio Times 15 Nov. 73/3 For thousands of children..who ‘listened in’ each Friday afternoon, Romany was the countryside. |
f. spec. To listen to a broadcast programme.
| 1929 Radio Times 8 Nov. 395/3 We sat listening..with a portable set. 1935 World-Radio 5 July 19/3 (Advt.), Below 100 Metres, Listen to the World. 1936 B.B.C. Empire Broadcasting 2 Dec. 2/3 Your greeting, Big Ben, and then the National Anthem, moved us profoundly—it took quite a time to listen without real emotion. Ibid. 9 Dec. 2/1 Whenever there was a sporting commentary a host of people used to come to my bungalow to listen. 1946 B.B.C. Year Bk. 11 With the restoration of peace there was a natural tendency for the citizens of other countries to listen, at first, only to their own newly freed broadcasting services. 1970 B.B.C. Handbk. 98 There is magic in ensuring that most people in the world can listen in a language they can really understand. |
† 3. (quasi-trans.) to listen forth, listen out: to obtain tidings of. (Cf. hearken v. 8.) Obs.
| a 1592 Greene Geo. a Greene (1599) A 3, Come, Bonfield, let vs goe, And listen out some bonny lasses here. Ibid. D 4 b, Ienkin,..goe to Bradford, And listen out your fellow Wily. 1602 Warner Alb. Eng. xii. lxxiii. (1612) 300 For Mandeuil they seeke, and him at last did listen forth. |
4. intr. To sound (in a certain way). Freq. with to = to strike (one) as. U.S.
| 1908 K. McGaffey Sorrows of Show Girl 78 That listened very well indeed, and we all climbed into a cabbage and vamped over. 1912 C. Mathewson Pitching in a Pinch vii. 143 All is fair in love, war, and baseball except stealing signals dishonestly, which listens like another paradox. 1923 R. D. Paine Comrades of Rolling Ocean xiv. 250 Here's where I slip it out..to help square the repair bill for my joy-ride. How does it listen to you? 1923 L. J. Vance Baroque xxvii. 174 [It] don't listen reasonable to me. 1945 Mencken Amer. Lang. Suppl. I. 317 It has been suggested ..that it listens well may be from es hört sich gut an. |
Add: [2.] g. slang (orig. U.S. Armed Forces'). to listen up, to listen carefully, pay attention. Usu. in imp.
| 1970 W. C. Woods Killing Zone (1971) ii. 23 Now you men knock off the goddam chatter in there and listen up. 1973 T. O'Brien If I die in Combat Zone vii. 68, I got me two purple hearts, so listen up good. 1980 W. Safire in N.Y. Times Mag. 28 Sept. 16/2 ‘I'm only going to say this once, so listen up.’ A Washington Star sportswriter put that now-hear-this command in the mouth of an imaginary pro-football star. 1986 T. Clancy Red Storm Rising (1988) xix. 244 Listen up, asshole! The guy who knows how to work this damned radio is dead, and I'm all you got. 1988 U. Holden Unicorn Sisters xi. 119 Listen up, that's Captain now. 1992 Metro (San Jose, Calif.) 7–13 May 37/1, I was struck by the feeling that the violence in L.A. was a graphic and chilling realization of the rage and frustration expressed by rappers..for a long time. Maybe now the suits in Washington will listen up. |