In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
LEER
leer
(noun) a suggestive or sneering look or grin
sneer, leer
(noun) a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls
leer
(verb) look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression; “The men leered at the young women on the beach”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Verb
leer (third-person singular simple present leers, present participle leering, simple past and past participle leered)
(intransitive) To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent.
(transitive) To entice with a leer or leers.
Noun
leer (plural leers)
A significant side glance; a glance expressive of some passion, as malignity, amorousness, etc.; a sly or lecherous look.
An arch or affected glance or cast of countenance.
Etymology 2
Noun
leer (plural leers)
(obsolete) The cheek.
(obsolete) The face.
(obsolete) One's appearance; countenance.
(obsolete) Complexion; hue; colour.
(obsolete) Flesh; skin.
(UK dialectal) The flank or loin.
Etymology 3
Adjective
leer (comparative more leer, superlative most leer)
(obsolete) Empty; unoccupied; clear.
(obsolete) Destitute; lacking; wanting.
(obsolete) Faint from lack of food; hungry.
(UK dialectal, obsolete) Thin; faint.
(obsolete) Having no load or burden; free; without a rider.
(obsolete) Lacking sense or seriousness; trifling; frivolous.
Etymology 4
Verb
leer (third-person singular simple present leers, present participle leering, simple past and past participle leered)
(transitive, obsolete) To teach.
(transitive, obsolete) To learn.
Etymology 5
Noun
leer (plural leers)
Alternative form of lehr
Anagrams
• Erle, LREE, Reel, reel
Source: Wiktionary
Leer, v. t.
Definition: To learn. [Obs.] See Lere, to learn.
Leer, a. Etym: [OE. lere; akin to G. leer, OHG. & OS. lari.] [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Definition: Empty; destitute; wanting; as: (a) Empty of contents. "A leer stomach." Gifford. (b) Destitute of a rider; and hence, led, not ridden; as, a leer horse. B. Jonson. (c) Wanting sense or seriousness; trifling; trivolous; as, leer words.
Leer, n.
Definition: An oven in which glassware is annealed.
Leer, n. Etym: [OE.lere cheek, face, look, AS. hleór cheek, face; akin to OS. hlear, hlior, OD. lier, Icel. hl.]
1. The cheek. [Obs.] Holinshed.
2. complexion; aspect; appearance. [Obs.] A Rosalind of a better leer than you. Shak.
3. A distorted expression of the face, or an indirect glance of the eye, conveying a sinister or immodest suggestion. With jealous leer malign Eyed them askance. Milton. She gives the leer of invitation. Shak. Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer. Pope.
Leer, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leered; p. pr. & vb. n. Leering.]
Definition: To look with a leer; to look askance with a suggestive expression, as of hatred, contempt, lust, etc. ; to cast a sidelong lustful or malign look. I will leer him as a'comes by. Shak. The priest, above his book, Leering at his neighbor's wife. Tennyson.
Leer, v. t.
Definition: To entice with a leer, or leers; as, to leer a man to ruin. Dryden.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Word of the Day
24 December 2024
INTUITIVELY
(adverb) in an intuitive manner; “inventors seem to have chosen intuitively a combination of explosive and aggressive sounds as warning signals to be used on automobiles”
Coffee Trivia