1. (n.) The act of hearing; attention to sounds.

2. (a.) Admittance to a hearing; a formal interview, esp. with a sovereign or the head of a government, for conference or the transaction of business.

3. (n.) An auditory; an assembly of hearers. Also applied by authors to their readers.

accepter acquirer addressee aficionado attender attention audition auditor auditory bargaining bargaining session beholder buff bugging claqueur clientage clientele conclave confab confabulation conference confrontation congregation congress consideration consignee consultation convention council council fire council of war deadhead discussion ear eavesdropping electronic surveillance exchange of views eyeball-to-eyeball encounter fan favorable attention frequenter gallery getter groundling habitue haunter hearer hearing high-level talk hired applauder holder house huddle interchange of views interview listener listening listening in looker meeting moviegoer negotiations news conference obtainer orchestra palaver parley pass holder patron payee pit playgoer pourparler powwow press conference procurer public receiver recipient seance session sitting spectator standee summit summit conference summitry taker theater theatergoer trustee tryout viewer visitor wiretapping