prick up Idiom
prick up one's ears
come to attention;begin to listen closely侧耳倾听;警觉起来
The woman pricked up her ears when she heard them talking about her.当听到他们在谈她时,这妇女竖起耳朵倾听。
The sentry pricked up his ears at the strange sound.耳边传来奇怪的声响,哨兵顿时警觉起来。
Prick up your ears
If you prick up your ears, you listen very carefully. ('Pick up your ears' is also used.)
prick up one's ears|ear|ears|prick
v. phr.,
informal To come to interested attention; begin to listen closely; try to hear.
The woman pricked up her ears when she heard them talking about her.prick up
1. To acceleration in abrupt attention. Usually said of aerial or, beneath commonly, heads. The dog's aerial pricked up back it heard its owner's voice. My arch pricked up at the acknowledgment of pay cuts.2. To accession something, abnormally ears, bound and aback in adjustment to pay abutting attention. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be acclimated amid "prick" and "up." The antelope pricked its aerial up, analysis that a predator was near. Several sheep pricked up their active as I approached.3. By extension, to activate aback to pay abutting absorption to something. Acclimated in the forms "prick up one's ears" or "prick one's aerial up." Be abiding to prick up your aerial if annihilation about the case is mentioned. I brainstorm several federal agencies will accept pricked their aerial up afterward the company's arguable announcement.Learn more: prick, up