Plural of earshot; multiple instances or ranges of distances within which something can be heard.
From 'ear' plus 'shot' (as in projectile range). Originally describing how far sound could 'reach' similar to how far an arrow could 'shoot,' this Old English compound treated hearing like firing distance.
The phrase 'within earshot' is a relic of when humans thought about sound in military terms—your enemy's location was measured by whether they were within arrow-shot, horse-charge, or ear-shot distance.
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