a. and sb.; also 6 aurycular(e. [ad. med.L. auriculāris, f. auricula: see prec. and -AR1. Cf. F. auriculaire, 16th c.]
1. Of or pertaining to the ear.
1649. Bulwer, Pathomyot., II. ii. 108. Having the auricular muscles bigger than ordinary.
1850. Sir W. Jardine, Humming Birds, I. 48. Forming auricular tufts of the same colour.
2. Perceived by the ear; audible.
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 61. Quippinge notorious or auricular iybinge on every hande.
1605. Shaks., Lear, I. ii. 99. You shall … by an Auricular assurance haue your satisfaction.
1654. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 92. So suddain a death afforded him not the respiration of auricular contrition.
† b. Hearsay, oral, traditional. Obs.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. iv. § 11. Ibid. (1626), Sylva, § 326. The Alchemists call in … auricular traditions, feigned testimonies of ancient authors and the like.
c. esp. (in auricular confession): Addressed to the ear; told privately in the ear.
1542. Blinklow, Complaynt, xix. (1874), 46. That auryculare confessyon, which is the preuy chamber of treason.
1651. C. Cartwright, Cert. Relig., I. 164. The Popish confession is auricular (as it is called), secret, in the eare of a Priest.
1839. Hallam, Hist. Lit. (1847), II. 22. The practice of auricular confession brought with it an entire science of casuistry.
† 3. Addressing, affecting or employing the ear only (to the exclusion of mental apprehension).
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie (Arb.), 172. Reaching no higher then th’eare and forcing the mynde little or nothing … is the office of the auricular figures.
1638. Mede, Rev. God’s House, 54 (T.). By hearing is meant in this place not auricular hearing but practical.
1740. Cibber, Apol. (1756), I. 74. Not mere auricular imitators of one another.
4. Auricular witness: one who relates what he has heard. (Cf. ocular, and F. témoin auriculaire.)
1642. Howell, For. Trav. (Arb.), 13. One eye-witness is of more validity than ten auricular.
1878. Daily News, 9 Jan., 6/1. Alluded to as an auricular witness by the Estafette.
5. Pertaining to the auricle of the heart.
1870. Rolleston, Anim. Life, 101. This ‘pericardial’ or ‘auricular’ membrane.
1872. Huxley, Phys., ii. 42. The moment the auricular systole is over.
6. Shaped liked an auricle.
1857. Bullock, Cazeaux’s Midwif., 21. A semilunar articular surface … called the auricular facet.
1872. Nicholson, Palæont., 211. Tubular spines … abundant upon the auricular expansion.
B. sb. An auricular organ or part. spec. a. A tuft of feathers covering the orifice of a bird’s ear. b. The little finger, as the one most easily inserted in the ear: cf. Fr. doigt auriculaire.
1797. Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), I. 12. The plumage … plain on the auriculars.
a. 1845. Hood, Tale Trumpet, iii. For each auricular Was deaf as a post.
1874. Coues, Birds N.-W., 126. A post-ocular stripe just over the auriculars.
