Obs. Also 7 loave, 7–8 corruptly leaf. [See LAVE v.2] Of ears: Drooping, hanging.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4748. With laith leggis & lange & twa laue eres.
1606. Wily Beguiled, 58. And I were a woman, I would lug off his laue eares.
1659. Lady Alimony, II. vi. But take especial care You button on your night-cap—Morisco. After th’ new fashion With his loave Ears without it.
1675. J. Smith, Chr. Relig. Appeal, II. 9. Here the little Ear, there the lave Ear.
b. Comb.: lave-ears, drooping or hanging ears (of a horse); hence lave-eared (corruptly leaf-eared) a., having ‘lave-ears.’
1570. Levins, Manip., 42/45. Laue eared, plaudus.
1597. 1st Pt. Return Parnass., I. i. 345. Thou lave-ear’d ass, that loves dross more than arts!
1607. Markham, Caval., VII. (1617), 43. Of the disease belonging to the eares of a Horse, and first of the laue-eares, or hanging eares.
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 2092/4. A large streng grey Gelding,… somewhat leaf-ear’d. Ibid. (1701), No. 3750/4. Stolen or strayed … a strong bay Cart-Horse … very wide Lave-Ear’d.
a. 1720. Gibson, Diet. Horses, viii. (ed. 3), 128. This Method is commonly used by the Jockeys to Leaf-eared Horses, to cause them to carry their ears more upright.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, III. 463. The hanging of the Ears is called by some the Lave-ears.
