écourter, v.a., to shorten, to dock, to crop; to curtail. — un chien; to crop a dog. Cheval écourté; cropped horse. Nez écourté; snub-nose.
écoutant, -e, n. and adj., listener, hearer; listening, attending. Avocat —; briefless barrister.
écoute, n.f., hiding-place for listening; (nav.) sheet, main-sheet (cordage). Être aux —s; to be on the watch, on the look-out; to eavesdrop. Entre deux —s; both sheets aft.
écouter, v.a., to listen; to hearken; to give hearing; to hear; to pay attention to; to mind. — à la porte; to listen at the door. — les avis de quelqu’un; to listen to any one’s advice. — raison; to listen to reason. Ecoutez; hark ye, look here, come! Il n’écoute personne; he heeds nobody. Ne l’écoutez pas! never mind him! Se faire —; to obtain a hearing, to enforce obedience.
s’écouter, v.r., to like to hear one’s self; to be over careful of one’s self; to indulge one’s self. Il s’écoute trop; he nurses himself too much.
écouteu-r, n.m., -se, n.f., listener. C’est un — aux portes; he is an eaves-dropper.
écouteux, adj., skittish, jibbing (of horses).
*écoutille, n.f., (nav.) hatchway. Fermer les —s; to close the hatches.
écoutoir, n.m., ear-trumpet.
*écouvillon, n.m., scovel (of ovens); swab; mop; sponge (of a cannon).