play it by ear Definition

ear¹
noun

1. The sense organ, usually one of a pair situated on each side of the head, that is concerned with hearing and the maintenance of balance in vertebrates.
2. The external part of the ear.
3. The sense or power of hearing.

Thesaurus: appreciation, regard, discrimination, sensitivity, taste.
4. The ability to hear and appreciate the difference between sounds.

Example: an ear for music
5. Anything like an ear in shape or position.
6. formal or literary
Attention; the act of listening.
Example: give ear to me

Derivative: eared
adj

Note: usually in compounds

Derivative: earless
adj

Idiom: be all ears

colloq
To listen attentively or with great interest.

Idiom: fall on deaf ears

Said of a remark, etc: to be ignored.

Idiom: give someone a thick ear

To slap them on their ear, especially as a punishment.

Idiom: have one's ear to the ground (keep one's ear to the ground)

To keep oneself well informed about what is happening around one.

Idiom: have someone's ear

To have them willing to listen or pay attention.

Idiom: in one ear and out the other (in at one ear and out at the other)

colloq
Listened to but immediately disregarded.

Idiom: lend an ear to someone or something

To listen.
Thesaurus: listen, give attention, heed, take notice.

Idiom: make someone's ears burn

To talk, especially unpleasantly, about them in their absence.

Idiom: out on one's ear

colloq
Dismissed swiftly and without politeness.

Idiom: pin back one's ears

colloq
To listen attentively.

Idiom: play by ear (play something by ear)

To play (music) without the help of printed music.

Idiom: play it by ear

colloq
To act without a fixed plan, according to the situation that arises.
Thesaurus: improvise, concoct, ad-lib.

Idiom: turn a deaf ear to someone or something

To refuse to listen.

Idiom: up to one's ears in something

colloq
Deeply involved in it or occupied with it.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon eare.

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play
verb played, playing

intr
1. Said especially of children: to spend time in recreation, eg dancing about, kicking a ball around, doing things in make-believe, generally having fun, etc.

Thesaurus: gambol, frisk, sport, cavort, romp, frolic, caper, revel.
intr
2. To pretend for fun; to behave without seriousness.
3. To take part in (a recreative pursuit, game, sport, match, round, etc).

Example: We played rounders
Example: played at rounders
Thesaurus: participate in, compete at, contest,engage in, take part in.
Form: play at something (also)
4. To compete against them in a game or sport

Example: St Johnstone played Aberdeen last week.
Thesaurus: compete against, rival, contend against, challenge, take part against.
Form: play against someone (also)
intr
5. colloq
To co-operate
Example: He refuses to play.
6. sport.
To include someone as a team member.
Example: playing McGuire in goal
7. sport.
To hit or kick (the ball), deliver (a shot), etc in a sport.
8. cards.
To use (a card) in the course of a game.
Example: played the three of clubs
9. To speculate or gamble on (the Stock Exchange, etc).

Example: playing the market
tr & intr
10a. To act or behave in a certain way;

Example: play it cool
Example: not playing fair
tr & intr
10b. To pretend to be someone or something.

Example: play the dumb blonde
11. To act (a particular role).

Example: play host to the delegates
tr & intr
12. To perform a role in (a play).

Example: played Oliver in the school play
Thesaurus: impersonate, portray, act, perform, present, represent.
Form: play in something (usually)
tr & intr
13. Said especially of a pop group: to perform in (a particular place or venue).

Example: Oasis played London last year
intr
14. Said of a film, play, etc: to be shown or performed publicly.

Example: playing all next week
15a. music.
To perform (a specified type of music) on an instrument;
Example: plays jazz on the saxophone
Example: plays jazz on the saxaphone
Example: plays the sax
Thesaurus: perform, sound, bow, pipe, mouth, fiddle, twang.
15b. music.
To perform on (an instrument)
Example: plays the sax
Thesaurus: perform on, sound, finger, pedal, bow, pipe, twang.
16. To turn on (a radio, a tape-recording, etc).
intr
17a. Said of recorded music, etc: to be heard from a radio, etc;
intr
17b. Said of a radio, etc: to produce sound.
intr
18. Said of a fountain: to be in operation.
19. To direct (a hose, etc).
20. angling.
To allow (a fish) to tire itself by its struggles to get away.

noun

1. Recreation; playing games for fun and amusement.

Example: children at play
Thesaurus: fun, amusement, enjoyment, diversion, pleasure, happiness, entertainment, recreation, relaxation, game, sport.
2. The playing of a game, performance in a sport, etc.

Example: rain stopped play
3. colloq
Behaviour; conduct.
Example: fair play
Example: foul play
plays
4. A dramatic piece for the stage or a performance of it

Example: The play is being put on at the Playhouse.
Thesaurus: drama, theatrical performance, show, tragedy, musical.
5. Fun; jest.

Example: said in play
6. Range; scope.

Example: give full play to the imagination
7. Freedom of movement; looseness.

Example: too much play in the steering
8. Action or interaction.

Example: play of sunlight on water
Example: play of emotions
Thesaurus: action, activity, movement, working, employment, motion.
9. Use.

Example: bring all one's cunning into play
10. The display that animals make in courtship.

Idiom: in play (out of play)

Said of a ball: in, or not in, a position where it may be played.

Idiom: make a play for something

To try to get (eg someone's attention).

Idiom: make great play of something

To emphasize it or stress its importance.

Idiom: make play with something

To make effective or over-obvious use of it.

Idiom: play ball

colloq
To co-operate.

Idiom: play fast and loose

To act in an irresponsible, inconsistent and reckless way.

Idiom: play for time

To delay action or decision in the hope or belief that conditions will become more favourable later.

Idiom: play the field

To spread one's interests, affections or efforts over a wide range of subjects, people, activities, etc, rather than concentrating on any single thing or person.

Idiom: play the game

See under game¹.

Idiom: play hard to get

To make a show of unwillingness to co-operate or lack of interest, with a view to strengthening one's position.

Idiom: play hell with something (play havoc with something)

To damage it; to upset things.

Idiom: play hookey

See under hookey.

Idiom: play into the hands of someone

To act so as to give, usually unintentionally, an advantage to them.

Idiom: play it

colloq
To behave in, or manage, a situation in the stated way.
Example: play it cool
Example: play it slowly
Example: I'm not sure how to play it

Idiom: play it cards close to one's chest (play one's cards close to one's chest)

To be secretive about one's actions or intentions in a particular matter.

Idiom: play it by ear

To improvise a plan of action to meet the situation as it develops.

Idiom: play merry hell with someone or something

To harm or damage.

Idiom: play a part in something

To be instrumental in it; to take part in it.

Idiom: play possum

See under possum.

Idiom: play safe

To take no risks.

Idiom: play with fire

To take foolish risks.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon plegan.

Phrasal Verb: play about or around

To behave ineffectively or irresponsibly.

Phrasal Verb: play about or around with someone

To behave irresponsibly towards them, their affections, etc.

Phrasal Verb: play about or around with something

To fiddle or meddle with it.

Phrasal Verb: play someone along

To manipulate them, usually for one's own advantage.

Phrasal Verb: play along with someone

To co-operate with them for the time being; to humour them.

Phrasal Verb: play at something

To make a pretence of it, especially in play.
Example: play at being cowboys
To indulge in it trivially or flippantly.
Example: play at politics
To try to achieve it
Example: What are they playing at?

Phrasal Verb: play something back

To play (a film or sound recording) through immediately after making it. See also playback.

Phrasal Verb: play something down

To represent it as unimportant; to minimize, make light of or discount it.

Phrasal Verb: play off

To replay a match, etc after a draw.To play from the tee. See also play-off.

Phrasal Verb: play one person off against another

To set them in rivalry, especially for one's own advantage.

Phrasal Verb: play on something

To exploit (someone's fears, feelings, sympathies, etc) for one's own benefit.To make a pun on it.
Example: played on the two meanings of ‘batter'

Phrasal Verb: play something on someone

To perpetrate (a trick or joke) against them.

Phrasal Verb: play something out

To act out in real life a part, scene, etc that is so predictable that it could have come from a play. See also played out.

Phrasal Verb: play over or across something

Said eg of light, facial expression, etc: to flicker over, across, etc (a surface, etc).

Phrasal Verb: play up

To behave unco-operatively.To cause one pain or discomfort
Example: His stomach is playing up again.
Said of a machine, etc: to function faultily.To try one's hardest in a game, match, etc.

Phrasal Verb: play something up

To highlight it or give prominence to it.

Phrasal Verb: play up to someone

To flatter them; to ingratiate oneself with them.

Phrasal Verb: play with oneself

To masturbate oneself.

Phrasal Verb: play with someone

Said especially of children: to spend time in recreation with them.To joke with them at their expense
Example: I think you're just playing with me.
To masturbate them.

Phrasal Verb: play with something

To contemplate (an idea, plan, etc).
Example: played with the idea of becoming a writer