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Leer

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leer¹

  • /ˈlɪə̯/ Australia, UK
  • [ˈlɪə̯] Australia, UK
  • /ˈlɪː/
  • [ˈlɪː]
  • /ˈlɪ̝ə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈlɪ̝ə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈliə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈliə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈlɛː/
  • [ˈlɛː]
  • /ˈlɪɚ/ US
  • [ˈlɪɚ] ~ [ˈlɪɹ̩] US
  • /ˈliɹ/ Scotland
  • [ˈliɹ] Scotland

Sounds like lear, lair (cheer–chair merger) · Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

Exact development uncertain, but apparently from a verb *leer (“to make a face, look sideways”), from leer (“cheek, face, profile”).

verb leers · leering · leered · leer

  1. intransitive To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent. And she looked to Mr. –––– / And leered like a love-sick pigeon.
  2. transitive To entice with a leer or leers. But Bertran has been taught the Arts of Court, / To guild a Face with Smiles; and leer a man to ruin.

noun leers

  1. A significant side glance; a glance expressive of some passion, as malignity, amorousness, etc.; a sly or lecherous look. Nevertheless humanity stood before him no longer in the pensive sweetness of Italian art, but in the staring and ghastly attitudes of a Wiertz Museum, and with the leer of a study by Van Beers.
  2. An arch or affected glance or cast of countenance.

leer²

  • /ˈlɪə̯/ Australia, UK
  • [ˈlɪə̯] Australia, UK
  • /ˈlɪː/
  • [ˈlɪː]
  • /ˈlɪ̝ə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈlɪ̝ə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈliə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈliə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈlɛː/
  • [ˈlɛː]
  • /ˈlɪɚ/ US
  • [ˈlɪɚ] ~ [ˈlɪɹ̩] US
  • /ˈliɹ/ Scotland
  • [ˈliɹ] Scotland

Sounds like lear, lair (cheer–chair merger) · Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English ler, leor (“face, cheek”), from Old English hlēor (“face, cheek, profile”), from Proto-West Germanic *hleuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hleuzą (“ear, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Scots lire, lere (“face, appearance, complexion”), 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.

noun leers · lyre · lire · lere

  1. obsolete The cheek. No ladie (quoth the earle with a lowd voice, and the tears trilling downe his leeres)
  2. obsolete The face.
  3. obsolete One's appearance; countenance. a Rosalind of a better leer than you
  4. obsolete Complexion; hue; colour. Here's a young lad fram'd of another leer. Look, how the black slave smiles upon the father;
  5. obsolete Flesh; skin.
  6. UK, dialectal The flank or loin.

leer³

  • /ˈlɪə̯/ Australia, UK
  • [ˈlɪə̯] Australia, UK
  • /ˈlɪː/
  • [ˈlɪː]
  • /ˈlɪ̝ə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈlɪ̝ə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈliə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈliə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈlɛː/
  • [ˈlɛː]
  • /ˈlɪɚ/ US
  • [ˈlɪɚ] ~ [ˈlɪɹ̩] US
  • /ˈliɹ/ Scotland
  • [ˈliɹ] Scotland

Sounds like lear, lair (cheer–chair merger) · Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English lere, from Old English ġelǣr, *lǣre (“empty, void, empty-handed”), from Proto-Germanic *lēziz, *lēzijaz (“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.

adjective more leer · most leer · lear

  1. obsolete Empty; unoccupied; clear. The horse runs leere away without the man.
  2. obsolete Destitute; lacking; wanting.
  3. obsolete Faint from lack of food; hungry.
  4. UK, dialectal, obsolete Thin; faint.
  5. obsolete Having no load or burden; free; without a rider. a leer horse
  6. obsolete Lacking sense or seriousness; trifling; frivolous. leer words

leer⁴

  • /ˈlɪə̯/ Australia, UK
  • [ˈlɪə̯] Australia, UK
  • /ˈlɪː/
  • [ˈlɪː]
  • /ˈlɪ̝ə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈlɪ̝ə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈliə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈliə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈlɛː/
  • [ˈlɛː]
  • /ˈlɪɚ/ US
  • [ˈlɪɚ] ~ [ˈlɪɹ̩] US
  • /ˈliɹ/ Scotland
  • [ˈliɹ] Scotland

Sounds like lear, lair (cheer–chair merger) · Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English leren, from Old English lǣran (“to teach, instruct, guide, enjoin, advise, persuade, urge, preach, hand down”), from Proto-West Germanic *laiʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *laizijaną (“to teach”), from Proto-Indo-European *leys- (“track, footprint, furrow, trace”). Cognate with Dutch leren (“to teach, to learn”), 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.

verb leers · leering · leered

  1. obsolete, transitive To teach.
  2. obsolete, transitive To learn.

leer⁵

  • /ˈlɪə̯/ Australia, UK
  • [ˈlɪə̯] Australia, UK
  • /ˈlɪː/
  • [ˈlɪː]
  • /ˈlɪ̝ə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈlɪ̝ə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈliə̯/ New Zealand
  • [ˈliə̯] New Zealand
  • /ˈlɛː/
  • [ˈlɛː]
  • /ˈlɪɚ/ US
  • [ˈlɪɚ] ~ [ˈlɪɹ̩] US
  • /ˈliɹ/ Scotland
  • [ˈliɹ] Scotland

Sounds like lear, lair (cheer–chair merger) · Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

See lehr.

noun leers

  1. alternative Alternative form of lehr.lehr

Leer⁶

Where it comes from

From German Leer, from Old Frisian Hleri.

proper noun

  1. A town and rural district of Lower Saxony, Germany.

Leer⁷

Where it comes from

From Norwegian Bokmål Lier, a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway, from Old Norse Líðir, plural of (h)líð (“slope”).

proper noun

  1. A small hamlet in Long Rapids Township, Alpena County, Michigan.

Leer⁸

Where it comes from

From Nuer.

proper noun

  1. A town, the county seat of Leer County, Unity State, South Sudan.
  2. A county of Unity State, South Sudan.

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