Colloquial Variant guide

airplane ears

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The folded ears of an animal (most often a cat) when they are irritated or angry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial, plural, plural-only

Examples

  • You can tell Mittens hates Fido from her airplane ears whenever she sees him.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the shape of a cat's ears resembling the wings of an airplane.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese: 飛機耳 /飞机耳 (fēijī'ěr) — cat's folded ears
  • Japanese: イカ耳 — cat's folded ears
  • Thai: หูบิน — cat's folded ears