a sly, sidelong look showing salaciousness, malicious triumph, etc.
Origin of leer
from Middle English lere, cheek from Old English hleor: in sense “look over one's cheek, look askance” to look with a leer
noun
- The definition of a leer is a long glance showing malicious intent.
An example of a leer is a glare at someone right before you steal some of their belongings.
- Leer is defined as to look with a sneaky expression.
An example of leer is to glare at something infuriating.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"leer." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 08 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Leer>.
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leer. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Leer
leer
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"leer." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 08 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Leer>.
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leer. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Leer
leer
intransitive verb
leered, leer·ing, leersTo look with a sidelong glance, indicative especially of sexual desire or sly and malicious intent.
noun
A desirous, sly, or knowing look.
Origin of leer
Probably from obsolete leer cheek from Middle English ler from Old English hlēor ; see kleu- in Indo-European roots.Related Forms:
- leer′ing·ly
adverb
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"leer." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 08 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Leer>.
APA Style
leer. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Leer
Verb
(third-person singular simple present leers, present participle leering, simple past and past participle leered)
Noun
(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.
Origin
Exact development uncertain, but apparently from *leer (“to make a face"), from leer (“face"). See below.
Origin
From Middle English ler, leor (“face, cheek"), from Old English hlÄ“or (“face, cheek, profile"), from Proto-Germanic *hleuzÄ… (“ear, cheek"), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek"), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlewe-, *ḱlew- (“to hear"). Cognate with Scots lire, lere (“face, appearance, complexion, blee"), 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.
Adjective
(comparative more leer, superlative most leer)
Origin
From Middle English lere, from Old English Ä¡elÇ£re, *lÇ£re (“empty, void, empty-handed"), from Proto-Germanic *lÄ“ziz, *lÄ“zijaz (“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.
Verb
(third-person singular simple present leers, present participle leering, simple past and past participle leered)
Origin
From Middle English leren, from Old English lÇ£ran (“to teach, instruct, guide, enjoin, advise, persuade, urge, preach, hand down"), from Proto-Germanic *laizijanÄ… (“to teach"), from Proto-Indo-European *leis- (“track, footprint, furrow, trace"). Cognate with Dutch leren (“to teach"), German lehren (“to teach"), Swedish lära (“to teach"). Related to Old English lÄr (“lore, learning, science, art of teaching, preaching, doctrine, study, precept, exhortation, advice, instigation, history, story, cunning "). See lore.
Origin
See lehr
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"leer." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 08 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Leer>.
APA Style
leer. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Leer
Sentence Examples
- She searched his face suspiciously but there was no leer in his expression.
- PETRUS HOFSTEDE DE GROOT (1802-1886), Dutch theologian, was born at Leer in East Friesland, Prussia, on the 8th of October 1802, and was educated at the Gymnasium and university of Groningen.
- He let go of Donnie's hand and turned to his wife, with more of a leer than a look of love.
- For a few years he was a teacher at Leer and at Osnabruck; but in 1858 he settled at Hanover, where he became intimate with King George V., who made him his Archivrat.
- Shipbuilding is an important industry, especially at Wilhelmshaven, Papenburg, Leer, Stade and Harburg; and at Munden river-barges are built.
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