Category:Hearken

Heark"en, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Hearkened; p. pr. & vb. n. Hearkening.] Etym: [OE. hercnen, hercnien, AS. hercnian, heorcnian, fr. hiéran, h, to hear; akin to OD. harcken, horcken, LG. harken, horken, G. horchen. See Hear, and cf. Hark..]

1. To listen; to lend the ear; to attend to what is uttered; to give heed; to hear, in order to obey or comply. The Furies hearken, and their snakes uncurl. Dryden. Hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you. Deut. iv. 1.

2. To inquire; to seek information. [Obs.] "Hearken after their offense." Shak.

Syn. -- To attend; listen; hear; heed. See Attend, v. i.

hearken Heark"en, v. t.

1. To hear by listening. [Archaic] [She] hearkened now and then Some little whispering and soft groaning sound. Spenser.

2. To give heed to; to hear attentively. [Archaic] The King of Naples. . . hearkens my brother's suit. Shak. To hearken out, to search out. [Obs.] If you find none, you must hearken out a vein and buy. B. Johnson.