airplane ears en · NOUN
Etymology
From the shape of a cat's ears resembling the wings of an airplane.
Meanings
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(colloquial, plural, plural-only) The folded ears of an animal (most often a cat) when they are irritated or angry.
When cats are scared, they will often lift their airplane ears in order to better detect and listen for any potential threats even if there isn’t anything visibly threatening nearby.
2024 June 20, Christian Adams with Dr. Marta Vidal-Abarca, “Cat Airplane Ears: 4 Vet-Verified Reasons Why Cats Do This, Facts & FAQ”, in Catster, Pangolia Pte. Ltd, archived from the original on 25 Jun 2024:You can tell Mittens hates Fido from her airplane ears whenever she sees him.
Translations (3)
th หูบิน (cat's folded ears) · zh 飛機耳 /飞机耳 (cat's folded ears) · ja イカ耳 (cat's folded ears)