round-ear
English edit
Etymology edit
From an allusion to the round pinna of humans, as contrasted to the long, pointed ears common in fantasy depictions of elves, fairies, and similar fictional species.
Noun edit
round-ear (plural round-ears)
- (fantasy, slang, often derogatory) A human or half-human.
- 1993, Richard Pini, Dark Hours: The Blood of Ten Chiefs, page 296:
- Even though the round-ear wore a short, loose deerskin tunic, awkwardly stitched and beaded, Bearclaw could tell that the body beneath was almost as slender and fragilely boned as an elf’s, with the exception of the big hands and clumsy feet.
- 2011, Sam Sykes, Tome of the Undergates, page 22:
- ‘You stinking, cowardly round-ear,’ she snarled, baring her canines at him.
- 2017, Jon Hollins, The Dragon Lords: False Idols, page 229:
- "Shut up, round-ear," he barked back. There were a couple of laughs at that. And a few of the elves did look like they thought making a cage of human limbs could be a fun way to pass the time.
- For more quotations using this term, see Citations:round-ear.