wooden ear

1. (idiomatic)Tone-deafness of any kind.

   have a wooden ear

2. Tone-deafness of any kind.

   (idiomatic)Tone-deafness for musical tone.

   A music teacher is challenged when a student seems to have a wooden ear.

3. (idiomatic)Tone-deafness for usage tone.

   She fancies herself a writer, but she'll steamroll idiom in a way that reveals a wooden ear.

4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wooden, ear.

   These dolls were traditionally made of fabric stuffed with straw, and they often had carved wooden ears and polished coals for eyes.

regular