peer

See also: Peer and Per

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English piren (“to peer”), from or related to Saterland Frisian pierje (“to look”), Dutch Low Saxon piren (“to look”), West Flemish pieren (“to look with narrowed eyes, squint at”), Dutch pieren (“to look closely at, examine”), which could all be related to the root of English blear. Or, possibly from a shortening of appear.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɪə/
• (General American) enPR: pîr, IPA^(key): /pɪɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophone: pier

Verb

peer (third-person singular simple present peers, present participle peering, simple past and past participle peered)

1. (intransitive) To look with difficulty, or as if searching for something.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     […] I should be still
     Plucking the grass, to know where sits the wind,
     Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and roads;

   • 1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in Lyrical Ballads, London: J. & A. Arch, Part III, p. 17,^[1]

     And strait the Sun was fleck’d with bars

     (Heaven’s mother send us grace)

     As if thro’ a dungeon grate he peer’d

     With broad and burning face.

   • 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Chapter I, p. 10,^[2]

     He walked slowly past the gate and peered through a narrow gap in the cedar hedge. The girl was moving along a sanded walk, toward a gray, unpainted house, with a steep roof, broken by dormer windows.

   • 1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 6, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, 1914, →OCLC, page 65:

     He would peek into the curtained windows, or, climbing upon the roof, peer down the black depths of the chimney in vain endeavor to solve the unknown wonders that lay within those strong walls.

2. (intransitive, obsolete) To come in sight; to appear.
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     And as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds,
     So honour peereth in the meanest habit.

   • 1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, →OCLC, Act III:

     See, how his gorget peeres aboue his gowne;

Derived terms

• overpeer

Translations

to look with difficulty or as if searching

• Bulgarian: взи́рам се impf (vzíram se)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 細看／细看 (zh) (xìkàn), 凝視／凝视 (zh) (níngshì)

• Czech: hledět impf, zírat impf, civět impf
• Dutch: turen
• Finnish: tiirailla, tähyillä
• French: scruter du regard
• German: spähen, illern (Central German), kieken (Northern German), linsen (coll.)
• Hungarian: kémlel
• Italian: scrutare, sbirciare
• Maori: whakatare, whakataretare, whātare, whātaretare
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kikke (no)

• Portuguese: espreitar
• Russian: вгля́дываться impf (vgljádyvatʹsja), вгляде́ться pf (vgljadétʹsja), высма́тривать impf (vysmátrivatʹ) (colloquial), вы́смотреть pf (výsmotretʹ) (colloquial), всма́триваться impf (vsmátrivatʹsja), всмотре́ться pf (vsmotrétʹsja)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: пи́љити impf

  Roman: píljiti (sh) impf

• Sicilian: scròpiri, taliari
• Spanish: escrutar
• Swedish: kika, spana, speja, plira
• Turkish: gözetlemek
• Westrobothnian: blir, gliir

Noun

peer (plural peers)

1. A look; a glance.
   • 1970, William Crookes, T. A. Malone, George Shadbolt, The British journal of photography (volume 117, page 58)

     Blessed are those organisers who provide one-and-all with a name tag, for then the participants will chat together. A quick peer at your neighbour's lapel is much the simplest way to become introduced […]

Etymology 2

From Middle English pere, per, from Anglo-Norman peir, Old French per, from Latin pār. Doublet of pair and par.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɪə/
• (General American) enPR: pîr, IPA^(key): /pɪɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophone: pier

Noun

peer (plural peers)

1. Somebody who is, or something that is, at a level or of a value equal (to that of something else).
   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Cock and the Fox: Or, The Tale of the Nun’s Priest, from Chaucer”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     In song he never had his peer.

   • 1832, [Isaac Taylor], Saturday Evening. […], London: Holdsworth and Ball, →OCLC:

     Shall they draw off to their privileged quarters, and consort only with their peers?

2. Someone who is approximately the same age (as someone else).
3. A noble with a title, i.e., a peerage, and in times past, with certain rights and privileges not enjoyed by commoners.

   a peer of the realm

   • 1646 (indicated as 1645)​, John Milton, “Comus”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], →OCLC:

     a noble peer of mickle trust and power

4. A comrade; a companion; an associate.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 37:

     He all his Peeres in beautie did surpas,

Translations

someone or something of equal level

• Bashkir: тиң (tiŋ)
• Bulgarian: ра́вен m (ráven), равносто́ен m (ravnostóen)
• Catalan: igual m or f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 同輩／同辈 (zh) (tóngbèi), (age-mate) 同齡人／同龄人 (zh) (tónglíngrén)

• Dutch: gelijke m or f
• Finnish: vertainen
• French: pair m, pareil m (pareille f), semblable
• German: Ebenbürtiger m, Ebenbürtige f, Gleicher m, Gleichgestellter m, Gleichrangiger m
• Hungarian: egyenrangú
• Irish: piara m
• Italian: pari, uguale, persona di pari condizione sociale
• Japanese: 同輩 (どうはい, dōhai), ピア (pia), (age-mate) 同年配の人 (どうねんぱいひと, dōnenpai no hito)
• Korean: 동배(同輩) (dongbae)
• Maori: aropā, hoa aropā
• Middle English: pere, felawe
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: jevnaldrende (no) m (age-mate, mostly used as an adjective)

• Persian: همتا‎ (hamtâ)
• Portuguese: par m
• Russian: ро́вня m or f (róvnja), (age-mate) рове́сник m (rovésnik), рове́сница f (rovésnica), све́рстник m (svérstnik), све́рстница f (svérstnica)
• Scottish Gaelic: leithid f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: вр̀шња̄к m, вршња̀киња f, вр̀снӣк m, вр̀сница f

  Roman: vr̀šnjāk (sh) m, vršnjàkinja (sh) f, vr̀snīk (sh) m, vr̀snica (sh) f

• Sicilian: avali, cumpagnu, pariggiu, stissu
• Spanish: par m
• Swedish: like c, jämlike c, gelike c
• Turkish: akran, emsâl, taydaş, yaşıt
• ǃXóõ: ǃnáã

someone of same age

• Bashkir: йәштәш (yäştäş), тиҫтер (tiθter)
• Belarusian: раве́снік m (ravjésnik), раве́сьнік m (ravjésʹnik), раве́сніца f (ravjésnica), раве́сьніца f (ravjésʹnica), аднале́так m (adnaljétak), аднале́тка f (adnaljétka), аднаго́дак m (adnahódak), аднаго́дка f (adnahódka)
• Bulgarian: връстни́к m (vrǎstník), връстни́чка f (vrǎstníčka)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 同齡人／同龄人 (zh) (tónglíngrén)

• Czech: vrstevník m, vrstevnice f
• Danish: jævnaldrende c
• Dutch: leeftijdgenoot
• Estonian: eakaaslane, vanusekaaslane
• Finnish: ikätoveri
• German: Gleichaltriger m, Gleichaltrige f
• Hungarian: kortárs
• Italian: coetaneo m
• Japanese: 同年配の人 (どうねんぱいひと, dōnenpai no hito)
• Korean: 또래 (ttorae), 동갑(同甲) (donggap), 동년배(同年輩) (dongnyeonbae)
• Lushootseed: ʔixʷəd
• Macedonian: врсник m (vrsnik), врсничка f (vrsnička)
• Old English: efneald
• Polish: rówieśnik m, rówieśnica f, rówieśniczka f, jednolatek m, jednolatka f
• Russian: рове́сник m (rovésnik), рове́сница f (rovésnica), све́рстник m (svérstnik), све́рстница f (svérstnica)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: вр̀шња̄к m, вршња̀киња f, вр̀снӣк m, вр̀сница f

  Roman: vr̀šnjāk (sh) m, vršnjàkinja (sh) f, vr̀snīk (sh) m, vr̀snica (sh) f

• Sicilian: cuitaniu, pariggiu
• Slovak: rovesník m, rovesníčka f
• Slovene: vrstnik m, vrstnica f
• Ukrainian: рове́сник m (rovésnyk), рове́сниця f (rovésnycja), одно́літок m (odnólitok), одно́літка f (odnólitka), одного́док m (odnohódok), одного́дка f (odnohódka)

noble

• Bulgarian: пер m (per)
• Catalan: par m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 貴族／贵族 (zh) (guìzú)

• Dutch: edelman m, edele m
• Erzya: мастачей (mastačej)
• Estonian: aadlik
• Finnish: pääri
• French: pair m, noble m or f
• German: Adeliger m, Adelige f, Edelmann m, Edelfrau f, Peer m
• Greek: ευγενής m (evgenís)
• Hungarian: nemes
• Irish: tiarna m, bantiarna f
• Italian: pari, nobile
• Japanese: 貴族 (きぞく, kizoku), 華族 (かぞく, kazoku)
• Korean: 귀족(貴族) (gwijok)
• Latvian: pērs m
• Middle English: pere
• Old English: æþel
• Polish: par m
• Portuguese: par m
• Russian: пэр m (pɛr) (UK), дворяни́н m (dvorjanín), дворя́нка f (dvorjánka)
• Sicilian: nòbbili
• Spanish: par m, noble m
• Swedish: pär c
• Turkish: asilzâde, lord

comrade, companion, associate

• Finnish: toveri
• German: Kollege m, Kollegin f, Fachkollege m
• Hungarian: társ
• Italian: uguali m pl
• Korean: 동료(同僚) (dongnyo)
• Middle English: pere
• Polish: kolega m, koleżanka f
• Russian: напа́рник m (napárnik), напа́рница f (napárnica), компаньо́н m (kompanʹón), колле́га m or f (kolléga), партнёр m (partnjór), партнёрша f (partnjórša)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: kolega (sh) m, kolegica (sh) f

• Sicilian: cumpagnu, cumpari, picciottu di squatra
• Tagalog: kabarkada

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Catalan: ^{(please verify)} igual m
• Ido: ^{(please verify)} pero

Verb

peer (third-person singular simple present peers, present participle peering, simple past and past participle peered)

1. To make equal in rank.
   • 1670, Peter Heylyn, Aerius Redivivus:

     Being now Peered with the Lord Chancellor, and the Earl of Essex.

2. (Internet) To carry communications traffic terminating on one's own network on an equivalency basis to and from another network, usually without charge or payment. Contrast with transit where one pays another network provider to carry one's traffic.

Derived terms

• peer-to-peer

Related terms

• peer assessment
• peer review, peer reviewed
• peer pressure
• peerless
• the Peers

Etymology 3

pee +‎ -er

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /piː.ə/
• (General American) enPR: pîr, IPA^(key): /pi.ɚ/

Noun

peer (plural peers)

1. (informal) Someone who pees, someone who urinates.
   • 1999 August 22, “Re: Swimming after eating”, in alt.folklore.urban, Usenet‎^[3]:

     As was the caveat about peeing in a pool. Of course, peeing in a pool wasn't dangerous to the person ... If you peed in a pool, and you were carrying the polio virus, presumably *other* people were put at risk, not the peer (pee-er?).

   • 2000 August 29, “Re: 32 month old urinating in his room! HELP!”, in alt.parenting.solutions, Usenet‎^[4]:

     SOunds^[sic] like you've already broken him quite well, if he's peeing when disciplined. Pretty sad. He's not a dog, not that treating a dog like this is any better either. You've turned your child into a submissive peer.

   • 2003 October 11, “Re: do female's "mark" their territory?”, in rec.pets.dogs.behavior, Usenet‎^[5]:

     Submissive peeing, on the other hand, IS related to anxiety. But submissive peeing is not marking. A submissive peer is generally a very submissive dog.

Anagrams

• Reep, pere, père

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch peer, from Middle Dutch pēre, from Vulgar Latin *pira, from Latin pirum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɪə̯r/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

peer (plural pere)

1. pear

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch pēre, from Vulgar Latin *pira, from Latin pirum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /peːr/, [pɪːr]

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: peer
• Rhymes: -eːr

Noun

peer f (plural peren, diminutive peertje n)

1. A pear, a fruit of the pear tree.
2. A light bulb.

Derived terms

• handpeer
• muilpeer
• perensap
• perenwijn
• stoofpeer

Descendants

• Afrikaans: peer
• Jersey Dutch: pêr
• → Aukan: peli
• → Saramaccan: péíli (from the diminutive form)

Noun

peer m (plural peren, diminutive peertje n)

1. A pear tree, Pyrus communis.
   • 1911, H. Heukels, Kennis Der Natuur A. Leerboek der dierkunde, plantkunde en natuurkunde voor a.s. onderwijzers, vol. II "dierkunde", page 77.

     Bij den peer zijn de bloemen wit en iets kleiner dan bij den appel.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

Anagrams

• reep

Middle English

Noun

peer

1. Alternative form of pere (“peer”)

Adjective

peer

1. Alternative form of pere (“equal”)

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pir/

Etymology 1

From Middle English pere (“pear”), from Old English pere, peru, from Vulgar Latin *pira, from Latin pirum.

Noun

peer (plural peers)

1. pear (fruit)

Derived terms

• peerie

Etymology 2

From Middle English piren (“to peer”).

Verb

peer (third-person singular simple present peers, present participle peerin, simple past peert, past participle peert)

1. To peer.

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin pēdere, pēdō, from Proto-Italic *pezdō from Proto-Indo-European *pesd-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /peˈeɾ/ [peˈeɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: pe‧er

Verb

peer (first-person singular present peo, first-person singular preterite peí, past participle peído)

1. to break wind, to fart
2. (reflexive) to break wind; fart

Conjugation

    Conjugation of peer (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			peer
gerund			peyendo
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		peído		peída
		plural		peídos		peídas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	peo	peestú peésvos	pee	peemos	peéis	peen
	imperfect	peía	peías	peía	peíamos	peíais	peían
	preterite	peí	peíste	peyó	peímos	peísteis	peyeron
	future	peeré	peerás	peerá	peeremos	peeréis	peerán
	conditional	peería	peerías	peería	peeríamos	peeríais	peerían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	pea	peastú peásvos2	pea	peamos	peáis	pean
	imperfect (ra)	peyera	peyeras	peyera	peyéramos	peyerais	peyeran
	imperfect (se)	peyese	peyeses	peyese	peyésemos	peyeseis	peyesen
	future1	peyere	peyeres	peyere	peyéremos	peyereis	peyeren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		peetú peévos	pea	peamos	peed	pean
	negative		no peas	no pea	no peamos	no peáis	no pean

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of peer

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive peer
	dative	peerme	peerte	peerle, peerse	peernos	peeros	peerles, peerse
	accusative	peerme	peerte	peerlo, peerla, peerse	peernos	peeros	peerlos, peerlas, peerse
with gerund peyendo
	dative	peyéndome	peyéndote	peyéndole, peyéndose	peyéndonos	peyéndoos	peyéndoles, peyéndose
	accusative	peyéndome	peyéndote	peyéndolo, peyéndola, peyéndose	peyéndonos	peyéndoos	peyéndolos, peyéndolas, peyéndose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative pee
	dative	péeme	péete	péele	péenos	not used	péeles
	accusative	péeme	péete	péelo, péela	péenos	not used	péelos, péelas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative peé
	dative	peeme	peete	peele	peenos	not used	peeles
	accusative	peeme	peete	peelo, peela	peenos	not used	peelos, peelas
with formal second-person singular imperative pea
	dative	péame	not used	péale, péase	péanos	not used	péales
	accusative	péame	not used	péalo, péala, péase	péanos	not used	péalos, péalas
with first-person plural imperative peamos
	dative	not used	peámoste	peámosle	peámonos	peámoos	peámosles
	accusative	not used	peámoste	peámoslo, peámosla	peámonos	peámoos	peámoslos, peámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative peed
	dative	peedme	not used	peedle	peednos	peeos	peedles
	accusative	peedme	not used	peedlo, peedla	peednos	peeos	peedlos, peedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative pean
	dative	péanme	not used	péanle	péannos	not used	péanles, péanse
	accusative	péanme	not used	péanlo, péanla	péannos	not used	péanlos, péanlas, péanse

    Conjugation of peerse (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			peerse
gerund			peyéndose
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		peído		peída
		plural		peídos		peídas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
personal non-finite		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	infinitive	peerme	peerte	peerse	peernos	peeros	peerse
	gerund	peyéndome	peyéndote	peyéndose	peyéndonos	peyéndoos	peyéndose
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	me peo	te peestú te peésvos	se pee	nos peemos	os peéis	se peen
	imperfect	me peía	te peías	se peía	nos peíamos	os peíais	se peían
	preterite	me peí	te peíste	se peyó	nos peímos	os peísteis	se peyeron
	future	me peeré	te peerás	se peerá	nos peeremos	os peeréis	se peerán
	conditional	me peería	te peerías	se peería	nos peeríamos	os peeríais	se peerían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	me pea	te peastú te peásvos2	se pea	nos peamos	os peáis	se pean
	imperfect (ra)	me peyera	te peyeras	se peyera	nos peyéramos	os peyerais	se peyeran
	imperfect (se)	me peyese	te peyeses	se peyese	nos peyésemos	os peyeseis	se peyesen
	future1	me peyere	te peyeres	se peyere	nos peyéremos	os peyereis	se peyeren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		péetetú peetevos	péase	peámonos	peeos	péanse
	negative		no te peas	no se pea	no nos peamos	no os peáis	no se pean

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

Related terms

• peerse
• pedo
• pedorrear

Further reading

• “peer”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014