hear, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

hear v.

also hear that

[SE hear, in this context with an implication, the product of drugs/New Age philosophizing, of a deeper understanding than the pure SE implies; note jazz use of hear, to become emotionally involved with the music, to concentrate absolutely on what one is hearing]

(US) to understand, to agree with someone completely; often as I hear you

1946		J. Evans Halo in Blood (1988) 201: ‘So you can just put that idea where it won’t do anybody any harm, you hear me?’ ‘I hear you,’ I said.
1952		(con. 1948) G. Mandel Flee the Angry Strangers 83: I’ll be about the Village for a spell, so we’ll be running up on each other, hear?
1969		H. Rap Brown Die Nigger Die! 25: She thought I should be in the house reading books [...] but I wasn’t hearing that.
1972		D. Dalby ‘African element in American English’ in Kochman Rappin’ and Stylin’ Out 180: hear, in the sense of ‘to understand’.
1986		S. King It (1987) 807: ‘Do you hear me?’ ‘I hear you.’ Patrick sounded sullen now.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 285: So, you hear me, Sherman?
2009		J. Stahl Pain Killers 18: ‘Didn’t want to end up dead or behind a desk,’ [...] ‘I hear ya,’ my new friend sighed.

In phrases

hear something knock (v.)

to take a hint.

1846		Swell’s Night Guide 121/2: Hear any thing knock, do you take the hint.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.

I hear you

an emphatic way of saying ‘I understand’, ‘yes’.

1935		Z.N. Hurston Mules and Men (1995) 22: When Columbus Montgomery said, ‘Let’s go to Eatonville,’ Soddy Sewell jumped up and grabbed his hat and said, ‘I heard you, buddy’.
1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 318: Yeah, I hear you.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 89: I hear you, baby.
1977		C. McFadden Serial 15: Although he kept saying, ‘I hear you, I hear you,’ he wasn’t listening.
1986		S. King It (1987) 590: Okay. As we say in the movie biz, I hear you.
1997		C. Newland Scholar 73: Yeah, yeah, I hear you brother.
2002		R. Embrack A Man Called Surf 199: ‘I hear you, baby.’ A pimp had to stay on top of his game around the clock.

In exclamations

I heard that!

(US campus) an excl. of agreement.

1982		Eble Campus Sl. Fall 3: I heard that! – used to Amen anything someone else has said.
1999		Eble Campus Sl. Nov.