Leer Definition

lîr
leered, leering, leers
verb
leered, leering, leers
To look with a sidelong glance, indicative especially of sexual desire or sly and malicious intent.
American Heritage
To look with a leer.
Webster's New World

To teach.

Wiktionary

To learn.

Wiktionary
noun
leers
A sly, sidelong look showing salaciousness, malicious triumph, etc.
Webster's New World

An arch or affected glance or cast of countenance.

Wiktionary

(UK dialectal) The flank or loin.

Wiktionary

Alternative form of lehr.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:
adjective
A leer stomach.
Wiktionary
Wiktionary

Faint from lack of food; hungry.

Wiktionary

(UK dialectal) Thin; faint.

Wiktionary

Having no load or burden; free; without a rider.

A leer horse.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Leer

Noun

Singular:
leer
Plural:
leers

Origin of Leer

  • From Middle English ler, leor (“face, cheek"), from Old English hlÄ“or (“face, cheek, profile"), from Proto-Germanic *hleuzÄ… (“ear, cheek"), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek"), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlewe-, *ḱlew- (“to hear"). Cognate with Scots lire, lere (“face, appearance, complexion, blee"), Dutch lier (“cheek"), Swedish lyra (“pout"), Norwegian lia (“hillside"), Icelandic hlýr (“the face, cheek, countenance"). Related to Old English hlyst (“sense of hearing, listening") and hlysnan (“to listen"). More at list, listen.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English leren, from Old English lÇ£ran (“to teach, instruct, guide, enjoin, advise, persuade, urge, preach, hand down"), from Proto-Germanic *laizijanÄ… (“to teach"), from Proto-Indo-European *leis- (“track, footprint, furrow, trace"). Cognate with Dutch leren (“to teach"), German lehren (“to teach"), Swedish lära (“to teach"). Related to Old English lār (“lore, learning, science, art of teaching, preaching, doctrine, study, precept, exhortation, advice, instigation, history, story, cunning "). See lore.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English lere, from Old English Ä¡elÇ£re, *lÇ£re (“empty, void, empty-handed"), from Proto-Germanic *lÄ“ziz, *lÄ“zijaz (“empty"), from Proto-Indo-European *les- (“to collect, pick"). Cognate with Dutch laar (“a clearing in the woods"), German leer (“empty"). Related to Old English lesan (“to gather, collect"). More at lease.

    From Wiktionary

  • Probably from obsolete leer cheek from Middle English ler from Old English hlēor kleu- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Exact development uncertain, but apparently from *leer (“to make a face"), from leer (“face"). See below.

    From Wiktionary

  • See lehr

    From Wiktionary

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to leer using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

leer