Peter Definition

pētər
petered, peters
verb
petered, peters
To become gradually smaller, weaker, etc. and then cease or disappear.
Webster's New World
To diminish slowly and come to an end. Often used with out .
Their enthusiasm soon petered out.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
noun
peters
The penis.
Webster's New World
A masculine name: dim. Pete: equiv. L. Petrus, Fr. Pierre, It. Pietro, Sp. Pedro, Russ. Pyotr.
Webster's New World
(original name Simon) (died a.d. 64?); one of the twelve Apostles, a fisherman, to whom the Letters of Peter are ascribed: considered the first pope: his day is June 29
Webster's New World
Either of the two Letters of Peter.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
pronoun

(biblical) The epistles of Peter in the New Testament of the Bible, 1 Peter and 2 Peter attributed to St. Peter.

Wiktionary
A male given name.
Wiktionary

The leading Apostle in the New Testament.

Wiktionary

(rare compared to given name) A patronymic surname.

Wiktionary
idiom
rob Peter to pay Paul
  • to pay a debt, obligation, etc. by creating or leaving unpaid another
Webster's New World

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Peter

Origin of Peter

  • 1812, US miners' slang, Unknown. Various speculative etymologies have been suggested. One suggestion is that it comes from peter being an abbreviation of saltpeter, the key ingredient in gunpowder - when a mine was exhausted, it was “petered". Other derivations are from St. Peter (from sense of “rock"), or French péter (“to fart").

    From Wiktionary

  • From Latin Petrus, from Ancient Greek Πέτρος (Petros), from πέτρος (petros, “stone, rock"), related to πέτρα (petra)

    From Wiktionary

  • US, 1902, presumably from shared initial pe-.

    From Wiktionary

  • From the name Peter

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

  • Origin unknown

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

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