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Definition of Tin ear
1. Noun. An inability to distinguish differences in pitch.
2. Noun. Insensitivity to the appropriateness or subtlety of language. "He has a tin ear for dialogue"
Definition of Tin ear
1. Noun. (idiomatic) Insensitivity to and inability to appreciate the elements of performed music or the rhythm, elegance, or nuances of language. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Lexicographical Neighbors of Tin Ear
Literary usage of Tin ear
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society by Straits Branch (1904)
"... pair of tin ear-pendants worn by men. '•. ... e. ,, ,, tin ear-pendant. d.
Gold ornament found in river gravel at ..."
2. Report by United States Board on Geographic Names, United States Geographic Board (1916)
"(Not tin ear.) Tinicum; Island and Township, Delaware County, Pa. Tinkers; Island,
southeast of Marble- head Neck, Essex County, Mass. ..."
3. A Vocabulary of Criminal Slang, with Some Examples of Common Usages by Louis E. Jackson, C. R. Hellyer (1914)
"tin ear, Verb General usage. To eavesdrop; to listen impertinently. ...
Example: "Chop the wheeze, we've got a tin-ear on our hip. ..."
4. The Cyclopædia of Wit and Humor: Containing Choice and Characteristic by William Evans Burton (1858)
"... that alternately expanded from ear to ear, and instantaneously drew up into
a small oval of the size of an egg ; he held a brown tin ear-trumpet in his ..."
5. The Cyclopædia of Wit and Humor: Containing Choice and Characteristic by William Evans Burton (1864)
"... small oval of the size of an egg; he held a brown tin ear-trumpet in his hand,
his dress was a tightly-fitting suit of yellow, spotted with black, and, ..."
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