eared
UK[ɪəd]US[ɪrd]
adj
having ears or earlike parts, especially of a specified kind or number (often used in combination, as in long-eared, flop-eared).
Morpheme Breakdown
ear
ed
ear
organ of hearing
ed
adjective-forming suffix
Etymology
the word "eared" is a straightforward english formation, combining the noun "ear" with the adjectival suffix "-ed". the old english root "ēare" for the auditory organ is traceable to proto-germanic "auzon-" and further back to proto-indo-european "h₂ous-", meaning "ear". the suffix "-ed" is a native english morpheme used to create adjectives denoting "having" or "provided with" the feature of the base noun. thus, "eared" literally means "provided with ears," a descriptive term that evolved to specify the type or prominence of ears, particularly in zoological and botanical contexts.
Analysis
Structure: ear (organ of hearing) + ed (adjective-forming suffix)
"ear" is from old english "ēare", of germanic origin, related to dutch "oor" and german "ohr". the suffix "-ed" is from old english "-ede", "-od", "-ad", used to form adjectives from nouns, indicating possession or characteristics.
Examples
the rabbit is a long-eared animal commonly found in meadows.
the dog was flop-eared, with soft ears hanging down beside its face.
some species of owl are tufted-eared, with feather tufts resembling ears.