Emanation of the ear? Not quite (4)
I believe the answer is:
aura
'emanation' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'of the ear? not quite' is the wordplay.
'of the ear?' becomes 'aural' (I've seen this before).
'not quite' means to remove the last letter (most but not all of the word).
'aural' with its final letter taken away is 'AURA'.
(Other definitions for aura that I've seen before include "Distinctive atmosphere surrounding person or thing" , "Intangible essence emanating from a person" , "Distinctive quality around a person or place" , "Air, distinctive quality" , "Emanation - distinctive air" .)