English Explanatory Dictionary

leer

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent.
  2. To entice with a leer or leers.
noun
  1. A significant side glance; a glance expressive of some passion, as malignity, amorousness, etc.; a sly or lecherous look.
  2. An arch or affected glance or cast of countenance.
noun
  1. The cheek.
  2. The face.
  3. One's appearance; countenance.
  4. Complexion; hue; colour.
  5. Flesh; skin.
  6. The flank or loin.
adj
  1. Empty; unoccupied; clear.
  2. Destitute; lacking; wanting.
  3. Faint from lack of food; hungry.
  4. Thin; faint.
  5. Having no load or burden; free; without a rider.
  6. Lacking sense or seriousness; trifling; frivolous.
verb
  1. To teach.
  2. To learn.
noun
  1. Alternative form of lehr.
name
  1. A town and rural district of Lower Saxony, Germany.
name
  1. A small hamlet in Long Rapids Township, Alpena County, Michigan.
name
  1. A town, the county seat of Leer County, Unity State, South Sudan.
  2. A county of Unity State, South Sudan.

Pronunciation

/lɪə/ en-uk-leer.ogg /lɪɹ/ en-us-leer.ogg /liə/ /liːɹ/ /lɛː/

Word forms

leer leers leering leered no-table-tags glossary leerest leeredst leereth lyre lire lere more leer most leer lear

Etymology

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

Synonyms

ogle vacant void empty empty as a pauper's purse empty as the tomb on Easter clean leer toom unfilled vacuumlike vacuous absent awanting bereft of deficient of deprived of destitute of devoid of lacking poor in robbed of shorn of stripped of void of wanting

Derived words

leeringly leery leerness
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